Delusions of Grandeur
by Aesanna
Summary: She staked it out on the mundane world, indifferent to it all. However, forsaking her place amongst both the celestial and the damned, she was a fool to think they would let her leave so easily. (DISCONTINUED-Being rewritten, read last chapter!)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The corpse precariously hung from her embrace as she drained the last bits of life from his pathetic existence.

"Feeding is so much work," she murmured. "I don't know how Beelzebub does it."

Seir stretched her arms in contentment, dropping her victim in the process, the full meal making her drowsy despite her complaint. Her prey's lifeless body lay in a disorganized heap at the base of the bridge. Passersby were unlikely to roam this early in the morning - hell, she wouldn't have either if she hadn't pushed back this meal so much. She just couldn't muster the energy to get out of her couch though until she had another power nap.

A swift kick sent the corpse rolling under the railing and into the river with ease. A smile graced her features as she watched it get smaller until it disappeared until the gentle waters with a graceless splash. The morning breeze picked up, carrying the cold winds from the water and causing her to scrunch her nose in discomfort.

Time to head back.

Shoving her hands in her pocket, the demon hummed as she walked the length of the bridge. Staring out to the river as the sun peeked over the horizon, she found herself mesmerized by its beauty. She doesn't go out much, but when she does she's usually pleasantly surprised. It's almost enticing enough to get her to walk to the bridge every morning.

Almost.

Soon, she crossed the bridge and veered off the path into the forest. It only took her a minute to reach her modest cabin, cloaked under an assortment of invisibility and dimensional spells.

 _Can never be too safe,_ she mused.

As she entered the runic field she stopped to check for any disturbances. Finding none, as she well should, she stepped through the door, greeted by her eternal fireplace and Persian rug waiting patiently for her return. She yelped in a rare burst of outward excitement as she dove into her extravagant bed, grabbing her unfinished book that she had lovingly left and continued where she had left off.

* * *

She didn't remember when she had dozed off, but she definitely remembered waking to the frantic slamming at her door.

Involuntarily jumping out of her skin, she checked the surrounding area. She didn't sense anything malevolent on the other side when she reached out, and only two people had knowledge of her abode. Either way, knowing that she wasn't going to die today, she didn't particularly care which it was.

Rolling over (and realizing she drooled on the cover of her book), Seir wrapped herself in her comforter, hoping that whoever it was would disappear.

A moment of silence - then, accompanied with more fervent knocking, "Come on, Seir! I know you're in there!"

 _So, it's him._ "It's open," she murmured underneath her cocoon.

The door swiftly opened and shut, revealing a bloodied man heaving desperately as he pressed his back against it in relief.

"So _now_ you decide to visit?"

"Please, honey," he grinned, adjusting his glasses with a smirk. "You hate visitors."

"I'm just making conversation," she pouted.

"Yeah, yeah. So guess what happened?!"

Seir was unmoving in the embrace of her blankets. "I'm sure you're going to tell me…"

A wide, toothy smile blossomed under his bloody features as the man closed the distance and hugged her, much to her despair for her sheets.

"I just met the most _handsome_ creature ever~ He was sexy, and amazing, and sexy… I want him so bad…"

"Let me go."

Her visitor obeyed, less out of fear and more out of excitement as he proceeded to jump around. She grimaced as her comforter piled at her feet, blood seeping through the material. She could probably save it if she cleaned it now…

"Oh Seir, I want his babies!"

Collecting the sheets in her arms, she started filling the tub with a rune she installed that pulled water from the reservoir underneath her home. Her book was heartbreakingly abandoned at her feet as she struggled to keep the blanket in her embrace. "That's nice…"

The man scoffed at her indifference. "You wouldn't know hot if you fell into the sun, dear."

"Sounds like a lot of work to get up there anyway." Finally dumping her soiled sheets into the tub, she sighed in exasperation. "Why are you even here Grell, besides to gush over your new toy?"

Grell Sutcliff, member of the Grim Reaper Society and one of her only friends, gave her another toothy smirk. "What's wrong with visiting my favorite person ever?"

"Sounds like I'm not your favorite anymore..."

He danced over to her with as much grace as he possessed, which was frankly unimpressive. "You will always be my favorite, Seir bear~"

She couldn't help but chuckle at his antics. He could always get her to laugh with his theatrics, which was why she bothered to keep him around at all.

Seir had chanced upon the feisty redhead about a century ago in Paris. Attracted by the scent of a recent death, she was looking to get a quick meal out of her find. Unfortunately, she had instead been greeted by the reaper that had gotten there the same time she did. Her meeting with a reaper was going to be inevitable anyway, so her surprise wasn't too great.

As a newer guy on the job, though, he was no trouble for her most basic spells.

"Please," he had begged. She was expecting him to beg for his life, and she moved to consume the soul before other reapers should appear.

"Don't..." he murmured, voice dying to a whisper. "...Let me die a virgin."

She hadn't expected to laugh as hard as she did, and she even elicited a chuckle from the wounded death god. To the bewilderment of the redhead, Seir not only helped him up, but healed him with her magic as well. His company promised many laughs in the future, and she decided she needed someone like that in her life.

So, he stuck around.

And here he was now, seated at her kitchen table as she placed store-bought cookies before him (she wasn't going to make her own) as he elaborated on this new knight in shining armor to her.

"So get this," he said, grabbing a cookie as she seated herself in front of him. "He's a _demon_."

She blinked; that was the last thing she expected to hear. "What's with you and befriending your enemies?"

He sputtered, affronted. "You befriended me! Don't you dare use that excuse!"

The demon waved him off. "Semantics. What else about him is so amazing?"

"Well," Grell shoved the confectionery into his mouth. "He's a butler, so he's always in this hot suit that really shows off his abs. Oh, and his voice…"

"If you need a moment with your hand, I can leave..."

He chuckled. "No need for that, I have all the time in the world later."

They shared a laugh.

"What's his name?" she inquired, grabbing one for herself.

"Oh, that's the best part, honey… it's _Sebastian_."

"That's probably not his real name if I don't recognize it, and I'm sure a weakling wouldn't capture your attention so much." Seir popped the pastry into her mouth. "Is all of this your blood?"

"Not at all; I can handle myself, thank you very much."

"Mhm…"

"Ugh! You're no fun." Grabbing all of the cookies in his hands, Grell made a mad dash for the door.

"Hey!"

"I gotta run," he winked. "See you soon babe!"

The door slammed, and the demon was greeted with silence. She eyed the blood staining her door and carpet with disdain.

"What a mess…"

* * *

"Why the fuck are you covered in blood _again?_ "

"I'm on a job!" he growled as he barged in.

Not even a week later, Grell Sutcliff enters her life again. She can start to feel her energy drain with this much socializing in such a short span of time.

"What kind of job? You're dealing with dead people, not fucking _murder sprees._ "

"Well, maybe I am!"

Seir blinked. "...Really?"

"Yeah. I know you won't tell anyone, so you can know." He made towards the kitchen, tracking bloody footprints on her Persian rug. Again. She could cry in frustration right about now.

"Not like I have anyone to tell." She swallowed her grievances as she followed him in. My carpet...

Seating himself, he crossed his arms like a petulant child. With a suffering sigh, she reached into her pantry and pulled out the box of cookies she painstakingly went through to buy yet again, just a few days prior. He angrily grabbed two cookies this time and shoveled them into his mouth, when not a moment later he burst into tears.

With the confectioneries sticking out of his face, he looked absolutely pathetic. She couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her - his suffering made her feel better as she sat herself in front of him. If she's suffering because of him, then at least she can relish in his despair as well.

Bless this Sebastian character.

Choking up in his wallowing, he pulled the cookies out of his mouth and slammed them back into the box. Seir's subtle 'ew' went unnoticed as the reaper put his face in his hands in defeat.

"Oh, honey, he won't notice me at all! No matter what I do, he just pushes me away! Our story is such a tragedy... the maiden rejected by her prince!"

"Tragic indeed…" she murmured, staring at the box of wasted efforts on her table.

"Wait… Seir."

Questioningly, she gazed at the contemplating look on Grell's bloodstained face with trepidation. She didn't like it when Grell thought. His brain should not be used for thinking.

"You can talk to him for me!"

A pause. Her bark of laughter immediately after caused him to wince, but he remained steadfast. "Come on, please!"

"I've known you for a century, Grell. Surely you know me better than that!" The demon's short lived amusement gave way to an incredulous look on her face. "You're not serious."

"Fine," he acquiesced. "You don't have to talk to him - just watch! I don't know what I'm doing wrong! I need your point of view!" In his desperation he grabbed her shoulders from across the table and started shaking her, and she was starting to get annoyed.

"You're so pathetic..."

"Yes, yes! Thank you bear, you're amazing!"

"I didn't agree to anything." Shrugging him off, she stood, pointedly ignoring the stains on her sweater. It was her favorite too… damn. "Get out."

With a mock salute, he pranced around the table and to the door. "I'll fetch you before my next job dearie~ Dress well!"

"Not fucking likely. And Grell?"

She shoved the box of cookies under his nose.

"Take them."

His teary, thankful eyes were answered with a slamming door in the face.

* * *

Author's Notes:

These notes are for clarification. Some aspects may be clear as the story progresses, but others may not (particularly the classification of demons).

-This story will (probably) be more theologically involved and less focused on the canonical story of Ciel.

-Some sources state that Lucifer and Satan are two separate beings while others claim that they are the same. For the purposes of this story they will be different entities.

-Seir is also a demon with a good nature, indifferent to evil, according to his information in the Ars Goetia.

-I've chosen to make some angels and demons female.

-All demons possess the seven deadly sins, but are created with an affinity to the sin they represent. Demons of sloth will always be lazy and demons of gluttony will be voracious eaters, though they can vary by degree.

\- I am also using the ranking system of demons taken from the Ars Goetia, but not the exact demons. Also, Lucifer ultimately is obeyed as the emperor of Hell. The system is as follows:

+Kings

+Dukes

+Princes

+Marquises

+Counts

+Knights

+Presidents

Etc. Notes:

-I haven't planned out this story just yet. I've only done some research so far and wrote down the prologue and first chapter. I hope to make a solid plan while I have inspiration, and the rating/genres/characters will reflect that.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Seir was pulling on her sweatshirt when a familiar presence appeared on the other side of the door. Dread filled her for the expectant hours of begging that just forced its way into her empty schedule.

"Come in..."

"Are you ready?" Grell skipped into her home, free of blood for a change.

She grimaced. "Look, I said no, and I mean it."

The reaper didn't look disappointed, but rather expectant. Without prompt he strode into her kitchen and took his place at her table. She slipped into her seat automatically. "I guess you finally grew a brain?"

"You don't have to come if you don't want to," he stated firmly, causing her to blink in disbelief. "I know you're hiding for a reason. My excitement just got the better of me, is all."

Seir's mind blanked. Was he actually… _apologizing?_

"That speaking, you'll miss the show and all," he followed with a wink. "But I suppose your safety is all I can ask for."

A smile graced her lips - out of pride or relief, she didn't know herself - and any regret that Grell may have been harboring vanished in that instant. He didn't have many friends, despite always wanting to surround himself with exuberant personalities like himself. The majority of the Grim Reaper Society deemed him too eccentric, and the ones he worked with were too uptight to call friends. As wild as it was, he was glad that a demon was willing to fill in that space he seemed to carry with him.

Maybe he does have a thing for demons?

A sudden knock came at the door. Seir's eyes narrowed at the sound.

"Were you expecting anyone?"

Closing her eyes, she sensed it - a demon. Not one she's entirely acquainted with, but one she still recognizes.

"No."

"Then-"

The girl swung her body over the kitchen table and grabbed Grell's wrist just as the door burst open. In the entryway stood a tall, lanky man with long, pale green hair, blowing in the wind of his forceful kick. Horns curled around his pointed, elvish ears in an outward direction in the likeness of a ram. His hands were shoved in the pockets of his pants in a casual manner, the entirety of his posture lax and calm. Handsome features were painted in boredom as sanguine eyes landed on the pair.

"Finally," he groaned in a baritone voice.

She could hear Grell's breath hitch for a moment, but all she could feel was fear gripping her heart.

 _Run_ , her rational side whispered.

With superhuman strength, she swung her friend into the decorative window behind the table (to ensure his safety first, of course), and the glass shattered as he fell through with a yelp. Without a moment to lose she leapt after him, rolling in the sharp grass before pulling the reaper to his feet and making a mad dash anywhere that would get her away from him.

"Come on Seir…" she heard him mutter as she put as much distance between them as possible. "Don't make me chase you..."

She couldn't hear anything after that - they were too far. Past the bridge, onto the roofs and into the heart of London, she'd already put miles between them and her pursuer before landing atop what appeared to be a factory.

"Are all demons so attractive?!" Grell cried as he grabbed her shoulders in exasperation.

"Yes," she replied with a smile, tossing her hair dramatically over her shoulder to hide her quivering fingers. "Me being the hottest, of course."

"Honey," he snorted. "I'll say you're cute, not hot."

"Whatever. Anyway, I believe you just met Furfur." The mere mention of his name from her lips had her look to the direction they came from, anticipating his appearance. "I don't know him all too well, but all of the greater demons know the names of everyone else at the very least."

The reaper brushed off the stray shards of glass glittering on his clothes. "How powerful was he?"

"He's a Count of Hell. I'm a Prince, so I should have been able to take him easily."

"Why didn't you?"

A snort escaped her. "Too much work. Plus you can't really kill a demon by conventional means - they get sent back to Hell and reincarnate after a while." She rubbed her chin in thought. "Though I suppose your death scythe would have been sufficient. But the fact that he isn't pursuing us means he's most likely going to report back to Hell first."

"Well," her friend sung. "I guess you can't go back to your anti-social cave, huh?"

Seir whipped her head to glare at him, satisfied that her hair smacked his smug features. " _You're_ the reason he found me! Visiting so often without caution, trailing in the scent of blood. I shouldn't have given you the key to my wards."

At her own reminder, she grabbed his wrist as he pouted. "Speaking of which…"

Pulling up his sleeve revealed an intricate, chaotic seal on the inside of his elbow. The Seal of Seir, which allowed him passage through her security wards, sight through her invisibility, and immunity from her spells greeted her with its familiar magical signature. She could also monitor his location and teleport to the seal if she ever bothered to. At this, she hesitated - despite costing her home, she was reminded of all of the good times the silly reaper had bestowed on her mundane life. Taking away the seal would mean losing her only way of effectively protecting her friend.

She jerked the sleeve back over his arm with a huff. "Nevermind, it's in working condition."

"Aww," he cooed. "Is someone worr-"

"It's working! Shut up!"

He rested his elbow on her head in victory. "Well, I can always protect you until you find another den, mother bear."

"As if you could protect me."

"I've gotten stronger!" he yelped, affronted. "You've got nowhere to go anyway!"

Grell stopped suddenly, thinking. _Shit, he's using that defective brain of his…_

"Why don't you at least meet my dear Sebby? After I finish my job, we can go anywhere you want and set up a new base!"

She did _not_ need this.

"But aren't you part of the England branch?" Seir tried to deflect. "What makes you think your superiors will let you?"

He waved off her concern. "I've got plenty of vacation days, bunny. Plus, if you set up shop in another country, solves me barging in too often, eh?"

It didn't seem like he would relent anytime soon, and she didn't have any better ideas, she supposed. _I'll just have to play this safe._

A smile of relief graced her features, and he grinned in turn. "That sounds great."

"Then we have a deal."

* * *

"No."

"Honey, you're going to have to blend in. I don't know what kind of styles you have down there but it ain't gonna fly up here."

The pair were lingering at the nearest tailor shop. The seamstress stood a little ways off, eyes glued to the girl's outlandish clothing as the two discussed what they needed done.

"I don't see what's wrong with it."

"It's ugly, dear."

"It's _comfortable_ , doll."

Grell tossed the mortal woman an apologetic glance. "She doesn't know what she wants. Could you just take her measurements and we'll discuss it after?"

With a slow nod, she withdrew the tape from her apron pocket.

"Stand up, please," she murmured.

With a petulant pout, Seir crossed her arms, swinging her legs from the tall seat. "No."

Her companion dragged a tired hand down his face. "Then just let me do it and don't struggle."

She was about to protest again when Grell _growled_. The sight of his sharpened canines with the feral sound told her that yes, he _was_ serious, and she sighed in acquiescence. From there, it was a half hour of the reaper struggling to keep her standing as she slumped against him, taking his offer literally and getting her measurements done while she threatened to fall to the ground in a heap without his support.

"You're such a baby," he groaned as he dropped her on the seat while he dumped himself on the waiting bench beside it.

Her only response was to stick her tongue out. If there's anything she learned from Mammon, it's how to be a child.

A voice called in from the back of the shop. "Sir, if you would like to tell me what you would like done…"

An evil smile suddenly blossomed on his face - the exact opposite of his defeated expression just a moment earlier. "Be right there." He pat her head, to which she swatted, before jumping up to meet the human girl.

She tried to stay up, really, but ended up dozing off. She supposed dresses took a while to make, but… wasn't he supposed to be at his job by now?

Grell shook her awake, impatient. "Come on, it's done!"

Her mind still laden with sleep, the reaper ended up having to dress her himself. Luckily, he had enough practice maneuvering her body like a doll earlier to do it efficiently, so when she came to, she found herself standing in front of a mirror, decked out in what had to be the flashiest dress she'd ever seen.

He had the widest grin on his face, and the seamstress herself seemed very impressed with her creation. "Well?"

There were way too many parts to keep track of. Her collar was separate from the main article and covered her entire collarbone in white, lined with black frills and a red cravat to adorn it. The chest itself was strapless to accentuate her breasts, which were often hidden under a baggy sweatshirt, with similar black ruffles lining the edge. The center of her corset was ebony, and the rest of the dress itself was scarlet and decorated in white lining. Separated sleeves were tied around her upper arms, puffing out at her wrists in a translucent white material. As per the craze in England, the fabric flounced outward below her waist in a bell-like fashion.

"The missy here made a hat to match!" Grell didn't need (or wait for) her permission to delicately place it on her head. Large, cumbersome, and decked out in both fake flowers and feathers, it threatened to topple her over. If she hadn't hidden her horns it may have actually remained in place. "How do you like it?"

"It's," she hesitated, looking for the right word. "...Red."

"Exactly! She gets it!"

"Where's my sweatshirt?"

"How much will it be?" Grell turned to the tailor, ignoring her.

The reaper stared at the woman unblinking with his signature smile as she told him the price.

"Righty-o. Bear, stay right here and I'll go get my employer." Without missing a beat, the reaper dashed out of the door. The bell that sounded echoed through the awkward silence as the seamstress and the demon stared at the entryway.

Impatiently, Seir crossed her arms and drummed her fingers. The human played with the measuring tape, refusing to look at her masterpiece.

After a full minute, she seemed to draw enough courage to break the stillness. "Er… where are you from?"

"...Why do you ask?" Seir looked down at the woman from the elevated flooring at the mirror.

"I've never seen clothing quite like yours."

"Ah." She scratched her cheek. "I'm… American."

"Really?" The mortal forgot her hesitance in her wonder.

"Yeah…"

"What's it like?! I've always wanted to get out of London."

Shit. "Uh… It's, big?"

The woman's confused look would never be answered. "Grell! Put me down!"

The reaper waltzed back in, carrying a pretty woman with short scarlet hair in his arms. Her dress, also red, flounced about as she struggled in the man's embrace. "Right now, or you'll get it!"

"Sorry Madam, we're here!"

With a huff, she managed to jump out of his arms. "I was busy, I'll have you know!"

She turned, eyes magnetically drawn to Seir's extravagant dress, then to her unnaturally gorgeous face, then to her sanguine irises. Her eyes narrowed.

"She's beautiful," she whispered to Grell, gazing at him with the obvious question.

"She," the reaper clarified, lifting his employer's hand to his lips with a sinister smile. "Is my friend, and will be helping us with your chores. I just need a favor." Turning to Seir, though, it melted into a giddy grin. "Meet Madame Red."

The demon nodded in acknowledgement, though the statement of her becoming an accomplice to his murder spree is news to her. Madame Red's eyes widened at his statement, understanding that she is no mere human, and nodded in turn.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance," she stated in sudden reverence.

Grell beckoned the tailor over. "Now, how much was that price tag, dear?"

The seamstress meekly walked up to the noblewoman and murmured the price.

Madame Red's jaw dropped. Glancing at the dress that was about to burn a hole in her wallet, her hands shook. _Hers_ wasn't even that expensive.

Gritting her teeth, she motioned for her butler to retrieve her purse. "This had better be worth it."

* * *

Author's Notes:

-To clarify, Seir is also known as Seire, Seere, or Sear in demonology.

-Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 have been revised.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"So, care to explain?"

The three of them were situated in Madam Red's office within her estate. A gorgeous looking home, really, although Grell could improve on his gardening skills. The woman in question sat behind her desk with her fingers intertwined, staring intently at the strange woman whom her butler claims to be his 'friend'. She was not returning her gaze, but rather seemed to be looking beyond her, out of sorts.

The reaper leaned against his companion's chair nonchalantly. "This is Seir. I met her a century ago. She's a demon." Straight to the point.

"A demon?" she muttered. "Are you of any use to me?"

The redhead paused, waiting for a response. Grell snapped his fingers to grab her attention, and Seir blinked.

"Depends. What are you doing?"

The noblewoman's eyes narrowed at the reaper. "She doesn't know?"

"I know you're committing murders," the demon interjected. "But the reason is beyond me. Although I don't particularly care."

"All the better." Satisfied, knowing her butler wouldn't go out of his way to betray her, she leaned back into the cushion of her chair to decompress. "Do you have a cover story? I spent a fortune on that dress, so I'm inclined to have you wear it."

"Is family out of the question?" Seir inquired.

Madam Red pinched her nose. "Unfortunately. The one I'm most worried about questioning your origins is my nephew, Ciel Phantomhive."

"Sebby's _his_ butler," Grell winked. "Sexiest thing on the planet."

"So I've heard."

"He would be suspicious if I claimed you were my niece," she continued. "Or even my cousin ten times removed. His butler is efficient to the wire - he'll see through it if my nephew believes he smells something amiss."

"Why exactly should your nephew care?" She asked, scratching her cheek.

At this, Madam Red grimaced. "He is the Queen's Watchdog. Deals with any underground or suspicious activity that she wants investigated." Pulling out a newspaper from a drawer in her desk, she displayed the headline describing the recent killings of 'Jack the Ripper'. Her silence insinuated the end of her explanation.

"...I see."

The trio (duo) basked in silence, deep in thought.

"What if," Seir proposed. "I claim relation to Grell?"

The noblewoman leaned her head on her fist, giving her full attention. "How so?"

"Simply that he is my brother. I married rich and I wish to reclaim my dear Grell who went into servitude to support his family from afar. I will pester you continuously until you give him back, presumably never."

"And your husband?"

"In America on business."

"What does he do?"

"Trade, perhaps?"

Back and forth they went in order to build a credible story.

They settled on her idea on the condition that she is not always present with them, lest she appear too suspicious (which suited her just fine). Her husband is away in America to settle some deals on the import of tobacco here in London. She would claim to be twenty two, and Grell would have left her family when she was sixteen. There Grell would write to her when he could, stating that he would work as a servant for a multitude of families before his last letter referencing Madam Red ("Angelina Dalles", she finally clarified). Then Seir would have traveled from her estate in Bakewell, which just left the problem of needing servants herself to solidify the evidence. As Madam Red stated, "No self-respecting noblewoman travels alone for so far."

Whatever that meant.

For this, the woman would hire new servants tomorrow to temporarily act as her own.

"...Alright, I think that will be sufficient." Standing up, the redhead stretched her arms, both weighed down by the new addition to her entourage but content that she has a new knight on her board. "I'm going to retire. Grell, show…"

Angelina blinked at her realization. "We should come up with a name for you."

At this, her reaper jumped up. "How about Reis?!"

Seir's nose scrunched up at the suggestion. "It's too obvious."

"We're working with the Queen's Watchdog," Madam Red stated after a long suffering sigh. "Lauren Bennett. That is your name."

"No arguments here."

"Then Grell, please show Lady Bennett to her chambers." She then muttered something about wine before letting herself out.

Grell pouted. "I liked it."

"How long did it take for you to come up with that one?"

"About ten minutes."

"...I'm going to sleep."

* * *

She wasn't sure what she expected when she woke up, but a frightful, lanky butler shaking her awake was not one of them.

"Wakey wake-"

"Holy _shit!_ "

* * *

"Where's Grell?"

"I don't know," Seir shrugged as she settled into her dining chair. Putting on her new dress herself had been quite a feat, but she managed to do it… somehow. "Was I supposed to see him?"

Madam Red took a delicate sip of tea while a servant spread butter on a slice of toast. "I sent him to wake you up."

"Maybe you sent a different Grell?" A plate of hotcakes were laid in front of her, and she eagerly reached for the syrup.

"What do you m-"

The dining hall door slammed open, and a furious man stormed into the room. "Look what you did to my face!"

The noblewoman at the table gasped. "Grell, what happened to you?!"

" _Grell?_ "

"Psycho-bitch has a killer right hook," he muttered, ignoring the shocked expressions of the other staff. "Didn't even get two words out before she knocked me out."

"Psycho-bitch?! You looked like a serial killer!"

Madam Red choked on her tea.

A nearby waiter fussed over her as she tried to wave him away. After a minute of desperate coughing, she took a deep breath to recollect herself.

"Staff, leave. Grell will say when breakfast is over."

Almost eagerly, all of them save for the trio at the table filed out of the dining room. Once of doors shut, Seir couldn't help but guffaw.

"Shut up!" the reaper exclaimed, nursing his wound. "This is your fault!"

"You look - haha - you look so fucking _stupid!_ "

He growled again, bearing his teeth, but the giant bruise blossoming on the side of his face only made her laugh harder. Even Madam Red elicited a chuckle before catching herself.

"Anyway," she coughed. "We need to discuss something important, Lady Bennett."

The demon in question was wiping away her tears before realizing that she was being addressed. Clearing her throat, she composed herself. "Yes, Madam Red?"

The noblewoman's somber tone sobered the atmosphere. "My next victim is tonight. Mary Kelly."

Seir sliced her hotcakes after drowning them in liquid sugar. "What do I have to do?"

"First I will make a stop to my nephew's estate. It's best that you get acquainted, at the very least."

"Very well."

"Grell will get her ready for our return. Then, you will see how we do our work. You should familiarize yourself before I assign you to any tasks."

"Sounds good."

"Then we head out in two hours. Grell will help you prepare." The red haired woman delicately wiped her mouth and stood.

Seir stared at him from the corner of her eye as he whimpered in pain. "Right."

"Then excuse me."

With that, she left the room.

The demon turned to her companion. "So what should I expect from good ol' Sebby?"

At the mention of his name the reaper perked up, battle wound forgotten. "He's stoic, and so focused on his task of playing butler. He's handsome, but unobtainable. He's _perfect_."

 _Why did I bother asking?_ she wondered.

 _...Let's hope this just doesn't get ugly._

* * *

"Yeah, she's playing hooky with a reaper."

"Mm."

"Okay. What do I do?" Furfur shoved his hands in his pockets as he stared at the demon lounging on the couch, wholly focused on his novel. A short, curly mane of soft blue hair was still as stone as the man dared not move, less he lose his place in his tale. Curved horns wrapped around pointed ears, but more so than Furfur's, nearly coming to a full circle. His grey baggy sweatshirt enveloped the creature in a swaddle of warmth and comfort, further enticing him to remain where he was, as well as his most recent invention and companion to the sweatshirt - the sweatpants.

A dangerous invention indeed. Furfur might go out and buy a pair himself.

"Mn."

"Am I done then?"

"Mmn - no, wait." Begrudgingly he put his finger on the sentence he paused at and closed the book to save the page. As slow as he possibly could (perhaps in an attempt to annoy him, but Furfur doesn't really care), the demon turned to address him. "So you found her?"

He scratched the back of his head before putting his hand back in its pocket. "Yeah. Outskirts of London. House was hidden under some invisibility wards."

"I see. She ran, didn't she?"

"Yep."

"Lame." He rubbed his chin in thought. "Did you tell her - "

"Yeah. She got too far to hear me though."

"Damn. Well," he sighed. "Persuade her again. But if she tries to run, grab and bring her back here forcefully."

Furfur gave a small salute. "Aye aye, captain. But..."

He'd already turned back to his book and resumed reading.

"Mn."

"Can I get some of those?" he asked, gesturing to the other's newest innovation.

The King of Sloth waved to the boxes at the other side of the room without looking up. "Help yourself."

"Cool."

At least this day was starting to look up.

* * *

"You're so lucky," Grell pouted at the driver's seat as he navigated the horses to the Phantomhive estate. "You get to spend time with _my_ Sebby while I have to prepare some dumb whore."

"I don't feel so lucky," Seir muttered, trying to ignore the desire to lean against the carriage wall and drift off. Every time they hit a rock or pothole, she went flying to the other side of the vehicle anyway. Her new butler was no help in keeping her secure - to be honest he seemed unfit to be a servant in the first place.

"Come on now, Lady Bennett," Angelina said with a smile. "We're going to see my precious nephew! And your butler Arthur will take good care of you, no?"

"Whatever," she groaned. The butler in question was too busy looking lost on what to do about the rocky carriage.

Madam Red's eyes grew stern. Her angry demeanor was nowhere near as amusing as Grell's growl.

She considered it for a moment. "Just give me back my brother," she muttered.

The noblewoman in front of her gave an exasperated sigh - for the theatrics or because she's being unpleasant, she wasn't sure.

"We're he-here," Grell stuttered, completely falling into his butler persona.

Madam Red sent one last imploring gaze at the demon, promising regret if she didn't play her role convincingly. She then smiled. "Wonderful!"

As they pulled up to the front door, she felt it. This aura, while she was also not entirely familiar with, was recognizable to the point where she could distinguish their power.

She wasn't in the presence on a King... she could tell them apart with ease. No, she was dealing with someone not quite as strong, but still greater than her - a Duke. Going by what Grell had told her, this demon was already established in the area. Hopefully that meant that they weren't actively pursuing her.

Bracing herself, she stepped out of the carriage.

* * *

Author's Note:

-She meets Sebby next chapter uwu

-As stated before this story will have chill demons, so it will probably be less dramatic than you're expecting.

-Also not sure if I'm doing pairings yet.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Welcome to the Phantomhive Estate, my lady."

She felt a twinge of amusement as the handsome butler bowed before her. She was thankful that she didn't recognize him. His smile did not betray his innermost thoughts, but rather exuded a servant's submission and a heartwarming welcome. Madam Red intently stared at her from behind is form, promising death if her choice to bring her along ended up being a mistake.

 _If only I could fear humans ever,_ she mused with an internal grin.

Seir huffed, tossing her head to the side before bypassing the butler completely and stomping over to her friend's employer. Her voice pitched up in mock anger. "Whatever!"

Angelina's eye twitched in annoyance before addressing Grell. "Come back in a few hours time."

He flustered, glasses threatening to fall as he fumbled with the carriage reins. "Y-yes, my lady!"

With a longing look to Sebastian, which had gone entirely unnoticed by him, the carriage took off down the rocky path. Silently, Arthur held onto her flashy hat and hung behind nervously as the girl clutched Madam Red's arm, determined.

She smirked devilishly. "You know, if you just give him back - "

"I said it a million times and I'll say it again: he's mine now." The Phantomhive butler wordlessly opened the door, and Seir found herself being pulled into the mansion.

"Just hire another one!"

"Get off." Petulantly, she released the noblewoman as Sebastian moved to take her coat.

"The young master awaits you in his office" he said with a bow as he folded the scarlet article in his arms. Burgundy eyes shifted to the seemingly young girl beside her. "However my lord did not account for extra company…"

Madam Red clicked her tongue in impatience. "She has refused to leave my company since yesterday. Does nothing but pester me - the poor will never have any class no matter who they marry."

"Like I said," Seir glared at the woman, crossing her arms. "I'll leave once Grell comes back to me! I'll even ignore all of the crass insults you've tossed my way since we've met."

"Bloody hell." The noblewoman dragged a tired hand down her face. "Where is my nephew?"

"Right this way."

The trio traveled up the stairs and into tidy office space, with Bennett never ceasing her angry tirade and Dalles pinching her nose in irritation. However, the redhead perked up at seeing the nephew that her sister had loved so dearly, seated behind a large mahogany desk that dwarfed his boyish size. His eyebrow raised behind interlocked fingers at the sight of a white-haired girl clinging to his aunt's arm, clearly angry.

"Hello Madam Red. Who is this?"

"Oh, I said just call me Auntie!" she gushed, grinning widely as she moved to hug him. Seir let her go on the account that she looked genuinely relieved to see her family member again, and the butler behind her had disappeared, presumably to properly store their visitor's coat.

Ciel visibly shifted away as she approached with open arms, and Angelina's eyes flashed with regret for a moment before her smile softened. "Stoic as always, I see."

Ignoring her comment, he jerked his chin in the girl's direction. "Who is this?" he repeated.

She waved her hand in nonchalance. "Some mangy mutt who came to my front porch last night after the party."

Seir growled, taking a step forward as threateningly as she could muster. "How dare you!"

The Phantomhive boy stared at her brown hued eyes, unblinking. He was waiting for a proper introduction.

Noting this, she coughed and recomposed herself. Fixing her translucent sleeves, Seir straightened her back and returned his gaze firmly. "Lauren Bennett, wife to Lord Harry Bennett of Bakewell. I've come to reclaim my brother who is currently being held hostage by Lady Angelina Dalles."

"Bakewell?" he mused. "You're far from home."

"Grell is under my _employment!_ Don't twist my words you harlot!"

She whipped her hand out, almost hitting her butler that she'd completely forgotten about. "Then why don't you release him?!"

"Because he's mine!" she yelled back, fully turned to her.

"See?! Hostage!"

The door suddenly opened, cutting a knife through the shouting match with a tense silence as Sebastian rolled in a cart of tea.

"Today we have Earl Gray, my lord," the butler said with a closed eyed smile. Ciel merely waved him off.

"Lady Bennett," the boy started. "My apologies for your… brother." He couldn't help the involuntary twitch of his eye - how was _she_ related to _Grell?_ "But I request that you do not bring your personal matters into my affairs. I am meeting with my aunt for a personal matter and I must ask that you leave."

Seir narrowed her eyes, first at Ciel, then to Madam Red, before sighing in defeat.

"Very well. But," she said firmly, jabbing a finger in the noblewoman's direction. "Don't think we're done here!"

"I think we are," she growled in return, crossing her arms in annoyance.

"Sebastian, call a carriage to take her back to Madam Red's estate."

The butler bowed in submission. "Yes, young master."

Without another look, she pushed past the waiting butler and stormed down the halls. Behind her, Arthur was struggling to keep up, dutifully carrying her massive feathered hat. The stairs had just come into view when she looked down at the entrance and saw a smiling Sebastian awaiting them both, and her eye twitched.

"The carriage is waiting for you, Lady Bennett."

She swiftly descended down the carpeted stairs, nearly slipping in her haste before finding herself in the steady arms of another. Black obscured her view, and she assumed that only the otherworldly butler could have the finesse to catch her that quickly despite being across the hall. Trepidation surged through her as she fought to keep a blank expression.

"What is your motive?" Suspicion laced his whisper, too quiet for the floundering, incompetent Arthur to hear.

 _Does he know…?_

No, she doesn't know him. Best to assume the he doesn't to avoid giving him any reason to suspect her. Knowing that he was tied down with a contract, Seir assumed that he was just being possessive over his claim.

"I'm not hungry," she murmured just as quietly.

Feeling unable to say more without eliciting suspicion from their third party, Sebastian pulled back, fuchsia fading from his eyes as he looked her over, presumably to check for injuries.

"Are you harmed, my lady?" he asked gallantly.

She shook her head, frowning. "No. Just… take me home."

"Of course." He smiled that happy smile of his.

* * *

"Thank you, Tanaka. It was lovely meeting you."

"Ho ho."

Seir bowed and waved at the retreating carriage. No matter what happened, she hoped that old man would survive in that house. He was precious beyond words.

"...I'm tired," she mused.

"My lady," Arthur started behind her. He was still clutching her hat, perhaps to still his shaking hands, as he looked up at the sky. "It's… supposed to rain soon."

"Is that so," Seir hummed. Suddenly, she smiled mischievously. "Let's get back at Madam Red, shall we?"

He gulped.

* * *

"So?" Grell called from the driver's seat, ignoring the rain that splashed onto his clothing from his ineffective umbrella. "How was my dear Sebby? Everything you ever dreamed of?"

"Nah. He was handsome, but I've seen lesser demons prettier than him. It's a shame I didn't acquaint myself with my fellow demons besides the Kings." Gazing at the rain pounding the window beside her, she buried herself in the puffy fur coat. The jacket looked like the most luxurious thing the woman owned in her wardrobe, and in her defense, the names Madam Red called her earlier were totally uncalled for.

She'll just call it even for now.

"Kings?" Grell questioned. Despite knowing Seir for over a hundred years, he never did inquire much about her home. Granted, he didn't get a chance to see her often and she adamantly refused to leave her little sanctuary. Plus, she never went out of her way to describe it. He just assumed at that point that it was something she didn't want to talk about.

"Mhm." It was getting chilly with the rain and night was fast approaching. Damn this London weather. "The Kings of Hell are the top dogs of the underworld, you know? Lucifer, Beelzebub, Satan; those big name demons that every human is so scared of."

"And you're close to them?" He turned to look at her through the window, curiosity peaked.

She paused, unsure of how much she should really indulge his questions. "Some of them. Lucifer and me get along pretty well, I'd say. Beelzebub too, but he's too laid back to really hate anyone..."

The carriage hit a rather large pothole, and Seir yelped as her head slammed the roof of the vehicle. Grell whipped back around to focus on driving, and sheepishly chuckled at her groan.

"So you don't know who Sebby is? That's lame."

"We all know the names of each other," she muttered, rubbing her head. "I've met Furfur a few times before, since similarly he's a demon of sloth. I haven't met everyone though since it's too bothersome, so I can't put a name to the face."

The two of them quieted as the Phantomhive Estate appeared around the corner. Once again, the cobblestone got incredible bumpy, and the demon grit her teeth in irritation.

"Why don't humans complain about these damn streets?!"

"Oh, shut up!" he cried, giddy. "It's almost time!"

Seir pouted but silenced herself. They pulled up to the large wooden doors of the mansion, and in the doorway stood Madam Red in her scarlet coat. Sebastian was there too, radiating hospitality with his dumb smile. The warm light from within the abode made his silhouette appear almost angelic.

A snort escaped her.

Jumping into character, he clutched the umbrella and slid off the carriage to meet his master. She couldn't hear the words they exchanged over the rain against her window, nor did she care to. She happened to make eye contact with the demonic butler, her features buried in the luxurious fur of her coat.

She blinked owlishly as he refused to break the stare. She dug her feet into the false confidence that he was only concerned with this quarry. Spending decades on the surface world shouldn't make her this prone to these pathetic emotions.

Mercifully, she allowed her attention to be drawn to a somber Madam Red entering the carriage. Seating herself across from the demon, she gripped her arms tightly and shut her eyes. She seemed to be struggling to keep it together after her visit. Seir remained silent, watching the pitiful woman curl into herself, before deciding that she'd found the rain more interesting.

Soon enough, they took off, and she watched the estate slowly diminish until they turned the corner entirely. A resigned sigh escaped Angelina, and Seir heard her breath hitch shortly after.

"Is that - is that my leopard coat?!"

Seir grinned.

* * *

Author's Note:

-I'm writing fanfiction instead of my essays. OTL

-Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 are revised.


	5. Chapter 5

Important A/N at the end.

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

She took a step back before a splash of crimson could stain her boots.

"Do you really have to be so messy?" Seir questioned with a grimace.

"Of course, dear," Grell sang, dragging the scalpel down the struggling abdomen. "I'm an artist, and my canvas is disgustingly plain!"

The whole room reeked of blood. Her superior eyesight let her witness the scene in graphic detail, but she didn't really care to see it. Bent over the pitiful woman was Grell, being the one to get his hands dirty, while Madam Red stood a ways off, gazing at the prostitute with such disdain that even Seir felt small. An assortment of surgical tools precariously hung from the table as the reaper chose them with abandon, uncaring as long as it had a sharp edge.

 _Great, I'm an accessory._ Her lips turned downward on their own accord as dark droplets of blood found their way onto her dress. _Like clockwork._

"Are you sure you don't want to add the finishing touch?" Grell inquired to her with a maniacal grin. He held out the bloodsoaked scalpel to her, as if it would incentivise her to take it.

She looked at the knife, then to the shuddering body in his embrace.

"No thanks," came her slow reply.

He shrugged. After what was a half hour of bloody carnage, he delivered the fatal blow to her beating heart as messily as he possibly could have done. At this, she let out a scream of pure agony as the last bits of life she had been desperately clinging to slipped through her fingers. Grell gracelessly dropped the corpse to the stained earth, admiring his handiwork with a fanged smile.

"I'd say she's been painted beautifully, right Madam?"

The noblewoman only gazed at the lifeless doll in pity, arms crossed in what Seir assumed was nonchalance. "She didn't know what she had. People normally don't until it's been taken away - I'm just showing her the error of her ways..."

Seir stared at the woman who seemed to wallow in regret at that moment before whipping her head to the door and inhaling sharply.

It's a presence she'd become well acquainted with recently, and Grell's grin only grew wider as he recognized it as well. Noticing something was wrong with the way her two guard dogs seemed to change their moods, Angelina found herself growing wary in turn.

Both she and the demon retreated into the darkness of the room just as the door was forced open. A cloaking spell was instinctively cast from Seir's fingertips as she caught sight of the Phantomhive boy in the entryway, eye narrowed and determined. That is, until he chanced upon the lifeless form of Mary Kelly, her body utterly desecrated like a lamb to the slaughter.

A strangled gasp escaped his lips before Sebastian covered his face a moment too late, leaping back to a safer distance. The two women watched as the Queen's lackey shuddered in shock and retch where he stood shortly after, completely unprepared for the ghastly horror of Grell's work.

The reaper in question could only stand before the body, drenched in the harlot's blood as Sebastian looked at him with a smile. Knowing he was caught (perhaps voluntarily, she mused), he stepped through the scarlet puddles and approached the Phantomhive servant.

"You've made quite a beautiful mess, Jack the Ripper," he stated casually as the Dalles butler came into the view of the light, soaked in his work's medium. "Or perhaps I should say... Grell Sutcliff."

The brunette looked utterly distraught, blood staining his lenses and dripping from brunette locks. Staggering forward, he reached a hand out to Sebastian in denial. "N-no, this isn't…"

His next words came out quickly, almost jumbled. "I heard the scream and came to help but it was too..."

"Will you really claim innocence looking like that, Grell?" The demon spoke casually as he stared at the droplets of blood on his clothes mix with the puddles of rain at his feet. "Though to be fair, this is the first time I've seen one of your kind in the human world."

Ciel remained in the butler's arms, still reeling in shock, though his heavy breathing seems to have calmed.

"You played the helpless butler quite well," he continued, features turning smug. "You had everyone fooled."

She knew her companion wouldn't be able to help it. _He_ didn't know it, but Sebastian was just stoking the flames of the reaper's pride by holding his acting abilities in such high regard. They all knew that the jig was up, and it was just a matter of time.

"Quite well…"

A sinister chuckle escaped Grell, and his toothy grin morphed into grotesque features. "Really?"

Pulling at the ribbon in his hair, his voice grew arrogant. "That's right," he continued. "I am an actress. An amazing one at that."

Off came the wide rimmed spectacles. Strands of previously dark brown hair flowed red, as if by magic. Delicately, he wiped the blood from his face, applying his fake lashes soon after. Like a maiden at her vanity, pouring in countless hours to make herself look like a princess, Grell managed to not only do it standing in the rain, but embody the likeness of a goddess as well.

She isn't afraid to admit it - guy looked good.

"But you're not normal either, are you Sebastain?" Grell's features turned excited as he pulled off the stained servant gloves and donned his black, custom ones. "If that's even your real name."

"It's the name my master has given me, so I am Sebastian," the demon replied. "For now."

"My..." he purred, satisfied that he can finally flaunt his true beauty at his person of interest. "You're quite a submissive character. However, I suppose that's also splendid in a handsome man like yourself."

At last, the red rimmed glasses came on, and the reaper sensually gazed up at the butler underneath knowing lashes. "Well then, once again, Sebastian… no, Sebby."

Seir certainly enjoyed watching the demon's smile slowly drop as the redhead continued his monologue.

"Allow me to properly introduce myself: I am the Dalles family butler Grell Sutcliffe. Let's get to know each other better~"

Pouring all of his pent up attraction into this one action, Grell blew a passionate kiss in Sebastian's direction - to whom was completely and utterly horrified by the gesture that he could not contain his shudder.

Truly, bless this Sebastian character.

Completely ignorant of the butler's ill reception, the reaper gushed. "My, I finally get to meet you as the real me. When I realized you were a demon playing butler, I was quite surprised."

"I could say the same," the butler jested, pulling himself together from his moment of weakness. "For a reaper to be acting as a butler... aren't you supposed to be the neutral being between gods and humans? What is your motive?"

Grell shrugged at his genuine curiosity, smirking. "Perhaps…I fell in love with a woman."

This statement elicited a reaction from the otherwise comatose Ciel. Pressing forward to what he knew was the inevitable outcome, Sebastian took the obvious bait. "Which is?"

From her place in the corner of the murder scene, Seir watched as Madam Red took her cue to come forward. Walking past her newest accomplice, her confident voice bounced against the solemn stone walls, them being the only witness to the agony of the poor woman whose life was stripped from her not a few minutes before.

"You already know, don't you?"

 _This feels strangely scripted_ , she mused as Angelina emerged from the building. It was at this point that Ciel pushed Sebastian's arm away - _this_ , he was expecting. He could handle this much.

"Madam," he addressed in a somber tone.

Grell kept a grin on his face, and the noblewoman couldn't help hers either. "I never thought that someone would be able to tell of Grell's true nature. I would have never expected it."

"You were on the preliminary suspect list, of course," he pushed, ignoring her statement. "However, your alibi was perfect."

"Even me?" She seemed genuinely disappointed by this fact. His blank expression betrayed nothing as he said in a firm tone that blood relations had no bearing in this kind of situation. Sorrow enveloped her, but Angelina wiped her face of any emotion at his statement.

Seir knew that this child was well beyond his years in terms of maturity and intellect. His language, the way he carried himself, the decisions he's made: none of them carried a childlike innocence about them.

His initial shock at the sight of Mary Kelly? Any rational man would have had the same reaction, whether they were a detective or not. Only a truly seasoned man in dealings with the underworld could have chanced upon that scene without so much as blinking. No, what he lacked was just raw experience. The fact of the matter is that Ciel simply has not lived long enough to desensitize himself to these sorts of things; given time though, he undoubtedly will.

Ultimately, he would have left no stone unturned in this case.

"If the accomplice wasn't human, then that would change everything," he elaborated. "Or perhaps... an unnamed third party."

 _Quite literally, no stone._

Grell tilted his head at this, and Madam Red raised an eyebrow.

The Phantomhive boy felt the shadow of doubt rear its ugly head at their reactions, but steeled his resolve.

"And here I thought you had everything perfectly predicted," the reaper crossed his arms with a grin. "But perhaps you weren't as meticulous as we thought."

"That girl earlier today," Ciel interjected, confident in his hypothesis. "She claimed to be Grell's brother. If he is a reaper, then surely she can't be human."

Grell shrugged indifferently. "Who knows? I barely knew her."

Her eye involuntarily twitched. _So much for 'actress'._

"Then perhaps you'd like to tell me she's not in the vicinity?"

Her feet were rooted in her spot. Despite the metallic scent of blood was overwhelming her nose, she was _not_ going out there.

"She's at my estate, last I checked," Madam Red replied coolly. Her posture betrayed nothing.

For the shit she's given her, Seir had to admit that the woman had both nerves of steel and acting skills rivaling Grell's.

"Sebastian."

"Yes, young master?"

"Check the house."

The butler bowed. "Yes, my lord."

At his first step, Grell moved in front the noblewoman. A protective streak possessed him in that moment, and his scythe was in position to strike without remorse if he dared take another step.

Not to defend Madam Red, persay.

"Come on, Sebby," he smirked seductively, chainsaw whirring to life. "Let's play."

* * *

Author's Note:

-I'm trying to avoid making the story too cookie cutter from my source material. When I revise later, hopefully I can amend that. :)

Anon: Thank you! We share that pity. I've toyed with the idea of another demonic main character for some time now since there simply aren't enough stories that use the trope, and I have a budding interest in Christian religion and theology from a non-believer standpoint. Despite being completely in the dark on where I want to go with this story, I'm determined to finish it, so we can look forward together. :D I'm glad you enjoyed and thank you for taking the time to review!

IMPORTANT:

I have changed a core part of the backstory. The prologue has been removed to reflect this, as well as some aspects throughout what I currently have. As I am taking a blind approach with this story, this may happen consistently. The more I plan out the backbone and end goal of the plot, the more things may shift.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6  
**

In all seriousness, she wasn't too concerned about her own safety. She could teleport faster than any of them could realize, but now she was slightly concerned for the welfare of her friend. Perhaps he's grown in strength since she last defeated him, but would it be enough to stand against a creature even greater than her?

She has no choice but to sit and watch.

Of course, Grell couldn't contain himself and lunged at Sebastian, smirking wildly as the butler withheld the strange weapon from slicing him in two. The demon himself was looking none too pleased at the redhead's new obsessive personality, disengaging from their stalemate and leaping back to Ciel. The reaper somersaulted to Madam Red all while blowing a kiss in his direction.

"I can finally show you just how strong I really am," he winked.

A grimace curved the butler's lips involuntarily before turning to wrap his coat around his master to shield him from the chilling rain. When he faced Grell again, he was evidently disappointed, admonishing the poor excuse of a reaper for going against the very reason of their existence - to remain unbiased in the affairs of mortals. Looming over the redhead from his place next to his lord, Sebastian couldn't contain his disgust as he verbally cut into the reaper, going so far as to say that he sickened him.

Undeterred, Grell only smiled wider.

"Even so," he sang. "I'm a butler to _die_ for."

The Phantomhive heir, evidently done with their chit chat, reached towards his face.

"On behalf of Her Majesty, and by my own sullied name, I order you…"

Pulling back the mock eye patch, a lavender pentagram etched into his iris glowed in power as he recited his command. Madam Red only frowned at the sight of the seal which only cemented any doubts to a demonic bond that she stubbornly held.

"Dispose of them!"

Bound by the law of their contract, burgundy eyes illuminated to their signature cardinal hue. Sebastian smirked in arrogance, finally being able to unleash his power against a worthy opponent.

"Yes, my Lord."

* * *

Seir beheld the messy dance of combat before her. Sebastian bobbed and weaved between the slices like a leaf in the wind, the scythe harmlessly whizzing past his features. His assailant seemed to be enjoying himself immensely, gushing as he swung the weapon as carelessly as a doll. As the demon flipped backwards, he realized that he had underestimated the reaper's speed and just barely managed to catch the whirring blade between his hands as he was rammed against the wall. Grell pushed the weapon into the brick beside his head, smirking as he attempted to remove his arm from his body while Sebastian struggled to keep the grinning reaper at bay.

Meanwhile, Madam Red turned her attention on the vulnerable boy ahead of her, looking down at him in pity. She would have loved to continue to play chess with her nephew, but the longer her eyes lingered on those familiar features of his, the more she's reminded of his father - the one thing she had longed for that was now forever out of her reach. That man, if he had just chosen her, would have turned her life onto a brighter path where none of this had to happen, but instead left her forsaken on this terrible road of self-loathing and regret.

A life where people didn't realize what they want, or what they have.

People who take their precious gifts for granted.

And she was cursed to be the one who would take these gifts away from them but never get hers in return.

No more...

...she wouldn't regret anymore.

Anger that had built over her entire pathetic life bubbled up at that one moment, and in her anguish she brandished the knife she had hidden in her pocket, charging at her nephew who stood frozen like a defenseless deer. He didn't even react as she was upon him, and without hesitation she stained the blade with his blood.

Her family's blood.

Ciel gasped as he staggered back, gripping his arm in pain. Yet, with adrenaline coursing through his veins, he gathered his composure and stared at the heaving woman, holding her weapon in a death grip.

"Why would a doctor like you - "

"You wouldn't understand," she interjected, whipping around to face him. Her face was contorted into the rawest form of anger he'd ever witnessed. "You wouldn't _understand!_ "

Her nephew didn't put up a fight as she pinned him to the wall by his neck. The more she saw his pained features, she tighter she squeezed. All of her pains, all of her burdens - perhaps she can find reprieve in destroying the closest thing that man had ever held to himself.

His life for her unborn child's. It would be a fair trade.

Madam Red's face was the picture of delirium. Ciel suddenly feared for his life as he saw her true intent, and he finally struggled in her vice like grip.

Raising her knife, she poured all of her misery and broken dreams into her next action.

" _You should have never been born!"_

Time seemed to slow around them. Ciel's eyes were wide as he stared at her in disbelief. Her hand was around _her_ neck -

\- Her. Her neck.

This wasn't just Vincent. This boy wasn't just him.

...This was her _sister._

The Prince within the house winced as Sebastian leapt at Madam Red with all of the the ferocity of a mother bear, charging at her with total abandon. The Phantomhive registered his servant's next actions in a split second and screamed.

"Sebastian, _stop!_ "

Angelina had already withdrawn into herself like a timid child, holding her shaking hands close to her chest. The knife laid by her feet, the gravity of her actions chaining her to her regret. The weight of what she had tried to do - to take her sister's precious thing away from her, to kill her own _nephew_ …

Despite everything she's suffered, despite everything she's lost -

\- she could never hurt her dearest sister, whom she loved more than anything in the world. Killing her son would be killing her.

The demon's face portrayed genuine pain as he tried to catch his breath, gripping his arm that definitely wasn't about to fall off. Ciel gazed at his maimed shoulder in shock. "Sebastian…"

"My, so _daring_ ," Grell mused, pulling his bloody scythe from the gore-stained wall. He admired the scarlet that coated his weapon, extremely pleased. "To save a _kid_ , no less! If only I could say the same for you, Madam Red…"

The woman stared at her stunned nephew through tearstained eyes, gazing at the picture of her loved ones with a newfound clarity.

She had always looked at the boy in Vincent's likeness. But now, she sees - she _finally_ sees - that this was her lost beloved sister all along.

And maybe… Vincent wasn't to blame either.

"This child," she muttered, her voice hoarse. "I can't…"

"Are you really saying that after cutting up all those women?" he asked, incredulous. "You do realize that after tonight, it's kill or be killed? There's no going back, Madam."

 _There is_ , she assured herself. Ciel's face, full of promise and innocence, told her that she could start over.

That she could appreciate the gifts she never realized she had.

She whipped to face her partner, full of both regret and hope. "But this is my - "

The chainsaw whirred to life and found itself buried in her chest. Seir was somewhat disappointed - granted, she was a sucker for happy endings - but supposed that she should expect nothing less from her theatrical companion.

Madam Red could say nothing more as she was thrown to the side like a forgotten toy. "How disappointing!" he sneered.

The Phantomhive and his butler withdrew in surprise as her cinematic record burst from the mortal wound.

While the two were engrossed in watching the playback of the reel to witness Madam Red's life, the hidden demon beckoned the reaper over with the seal he carried on his arm. Glancing at the two and deciding that it would be fine, he quietly walked back inside the rank house. He didn't notice her immediately - or at all really - until he felt him being pulled out of sight of the door by an invisible force.

"Do you even plan on going back to the society after this?" she whispered in his ear.

Grell propped his scythe on the vermillion stone floor, leaning against it more comfortably as Seir maintained a firm grip on his collar. "Where's the fun in that?"

He felt the hold loosen as his companion sighed and smugly straightened his cuffs.

"Great, now we're _both_ outcasts. You are _not_ staying in my place when this blows over."

The reaper waved off her concern. Looking over his shoulder to see that there was still plenty of Madam Red's life left to be shown, he turned back to where he assumed the female was situated, who stubbornly remained invisible. "Like I said, we made a deal - "

"Which we demons take _very_ seriously."

" - which you demons take very seriously, and I plan to see it through!"

"Right," came the incredulous response. "So, let's say I wanted to live in the hidden bamboo forests of China. You'd help me do it?"

"Sure, sure!" Grell flashed his million dollar smile.

"What about in the northern reaches of Russia?"

"Why not?"

"An island in the middle of the ocean?"

"I'll swim there with you on my back if I have to, hon," he smiled innocently. The sound of Madam Red's dying voice and the slowing clips of the reel stated that their short meeting was adjourned. With no time for pleasantries, the reaper waltzed back to his position as if nothing happened, and Seir returned to her front row seat in the forgotten room.

Angelina's body hit the floor in finality, a tear escaping her with all of the things left unsaid to her beloved nephew. Ciel and Sebastian turned to look at Grell who in turn ignored them, fully focused on the woman who desecrated the very thing they stood for. Abandoning his society-issued waistcoat, he carelessly peeled the noblewoman's body out of the crimson coat and adorned it himself, theatrically flaring his exit with a salute at the corpse and turning his back on the three who lingered behind.

Seir watched as the boy kneel before the body and delicately close his aunt's eyes, fully understanding her revelation and the things she wished to relay. In a rare sign of respect, he sat in silence for her passing.

"Sebastian," he murmured, still gazing at the distraught features of Madam Red. He had said before that familial connections did not matter to him - at least where cases were concerned - but now being presented her body on a silver platter, he allowed himself a moment of vulnerability.

A moment, and no less.

He turned to his butler, authority lacing his tone. "You have your orders. Kill the other one."

The demon stared at him for a moment, perhaps patting himself on the back for having such a heartless child as a master, before an evil smile stretched his features. "Understood."

Grell halted his steps, unable to help the ominous chuckle that escaped him. "I _was_ going to let you go, but if you so desire…"

With the same recklessness as before, he swung his weapon at the butler, who dodged the scythe with ease.

"I'll send you both to Heaven myself!"

* * *

Author's Note:

I deeply apologize for the week long absence. I've been considering getting a beta reader and and I believe I have one, though I'm waiting for them to get back to me. In the meantime, I wanted to flesh out an end goal before I continued any further, which I believe I have! Going in blind was (probably obviously) not the best idea, so I wanted to take some time to get my bearings. Please note that I will only be writing during weekends as my real life takes priority.

Thank you for all of the reviews and follows! I really appreciate it and it encourages me to write more. :D

-Chapter 5 and 6 are revised!

-I also sketched Seir, if you're not sure how I imagined her: **deviantart (dot com slash) aesanna/art/Seir-10-26-2018-769911819**

+Feel free to flame my art if bother looking; I'm not an artist and I've had the account since 2012 lol

-Writing song: Flower Dance - DJ Okawari


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Heaven?"

Sebastian chuckled, thoroughly amused. Grell's smile fell as the demon in turn smirked in arrogance - the total opposite of his attitude earlier. The reaper couldn't suppress his strangled gasp when the butler seemingly disappeared.

That is, until his sultry voice boomed above him. Perched atop his outstretched scythe weighing nothing at all, the demon's confidence incited a primal sort of fear within the redhead as he gazed up at the handsome man. Those sanguine eyes gleamed with predatory intent.

"Heaven has no jurisdiction over creatures such as I."

Even she'd gotten chills at those few words, and her stomach dropped as he leaned forward slightly, his only indication to his next move. Grell had barely dodged the kick aimed at his face and cried out in disbelief, flailing his arms wildly in anger. "That was on purpose!"

"Of course," he huffed, somewhat satisfied as the redhead floundered. "I am, after all, one hell of a butler."

She cringed.

The two conversed as only otherworldly beings could, and Ciel tucked the thick coat around his frame tighter. After a moment, they turned to look at the boy who was sporting an indifferent look, rest assured in his butler's inevitable victory. A smile that could only be described as fond grew on Sebastian's face, though fondness was probably the last thing he felt for his master.

"So long as the contract remains," he murmured. "I will follow his every will."

Grell chuckled, licking his lips. "Well then," the reaper purred, adjusting his grip on his scythe. "Let's continue, shall we?"

The demon didn't even acknowledge his master's superfluous nod. In that instant, they were gone.

With the idiot and the butler far too engrossed in their bloody dance in the sky, Seir decided that she was sick of the metallic scent of her hideout and silently walked up to Ciel, dispelling her invisibility. Kneeling before his aunt, the boy draped Sebastian's coat over her body to shield her from the rain, his eyes never leaving her closed lids. He was too distracted to notice her presence beside him, and started when she made herself known.

"She was funny, Angelina. If I got to know her better I think we might have been friends."

"You - !" Ciel's head whipped to the second demon in surprise, clutching his chest in shock. His body has had more adrenaline than this day needed. "Bloody hell…"

"Me," she smiled innocently. "You were correct in that I was in the house, but you'd be wrong to think I was involved."

Mismatched eyes could only stare on the soaked ground, entirely focused on trying to calm his heart that was about ready to burst. He _really_ didn't need this right now.

Seir continued on without missing a beat, watching as Grell and Sebastian were locked in a stalemate on the roof. "I actually just met her a few days ago. If you hadn't caught her today, she would have started giving me jobs."

Ciel followed her line of sight, gazing at the two butlers who continued to exchange words. "What are you?" he tried. Although he knew it wasn't likely he'd get an answer.

However, it wasn't by her accord as opposed to the two of them being stunned into silence. The Phantomhive heir could only watch in mute horror as the reaper pushed the demon back with a vicious headbutt and proceeded to get a clean slice across his chest. Out of the wound sprouted a cinematic record not unlike Madame Red's, and Seir's curiosity was peaked.

Until was she saw was not the underworld she's so familiar with, but rather… the Phantomhive staff?

Grell's unintelligible whines echoed throughout their part of London, and she heard Ciel breath a sigh of relief as his butler playfully winked at the reaper. The boy would never admit it, but at that moment he was morbidly interested in Sebastian's history as well.

The redhead roared indignantly, being robbed of the one thing he was looking forward to since the start of their battle. His cries, however, appeared to be pacified as Sebastian seemed to say something, and the two continued to converse. All the while, Seir was trying to discern which demon the butler was, but with her lack of knowledge of the other greater demons, she wasn't able to glean much.

Ciel considered trying to further question the stranger, but his attention was torn yet again by the skirmish. His servant was holding his torn coat in his grasp, and the two leapt into the sky a final time, illuminated by the full radiance of the moon. Grell's cocksure attitude was evident in his smug grin, until his scythe stopped vibrating in his hands and looked in disbelief to see that the demon shoved the material into the weapon, locking it in place.

He was utterly flabbergasted as he collapsed on the roof while Sebastian landed gracefully in front of him. His attempts to pull the fabric from the contraption were in vain, and Seir rubbed her temples at his predicament.

 _Perhaps this is when I should jump in?_ she asked herself as the other demon cracked his knuckles with glee. _Or do I let him get beaten to a pulp?_

She rubbed her chin in deep contemplation.

 _Jump in…_

 _...or beaten._

 _Save..._

 _...or lesson._

And so the two watched from the ground in satisfaction as the reaper proceeded to get his ass handed to him. Completely useless without his scythe, Grell was no match for Sebastian's pure strength and aptitude in hand to hand combat, and his destruction was secured with a rather powerful punch to the face. The bloody reaper was sent careening in their direction, and her eyes briefly made contact with the pulp that was Grell before he was blown across the rugged cobblestone with a swift kick by Sebastian.

The man in question landed before his master with the grace of a cat, the scythe embedding itself in the earth a few feet away. "My apologies, I misjudged the distance," he remarked with a satisfied smile.

Sanguine eyes locked on hers, brimming with questions and suspicion though recalling her earlier statement. Ciel spoke while completely disregarding the woman beside him, which pacified Sebastian enough to focus on the reaper instead. With that same gleeful smile he pulled the scythe from the stone with ease and approached the reaper like a stalking feline.

Though she could have sworn that he was almost skipping.

The butler separated the scythe free from its fabric confinements, thusly whirring the contraption to life.

"N-no!" Grell scrambled backwards, watching with pitiful eyes as the hellion approached. His face was suddenly ground into the muddy earth as he was pinned under an unforgiving foot. Hesitating, Sebastian iterated to his master that killing a divine being was greatly punishable.

Which Ciel simply waved off, to no one's surprise.

True fear gripped the reaper, and he made eye contact with Seir in a desperate plea. She only smiled calmly in return.

Betrayal flooded through his body - the _harlot_ \- and he screamed Bloody Mary as Sebastian pulled back the scythe. He begged, he pleaded - all of which fell on deaf ears.

Then, pulling all the stops, he cried, "Don't you wanna know who killed his parents?!"

At this, Ciel lurched forward in shock, the command to stop Sebastian on lips but seeing that it was too late -

\- when a metal pole sprouted out of nowhere, stopping the scythe on its descent.

All of them turned to its origin, the demon irked beyond reason at the new intrusion. From the roof stood yet another man, sharply dressed in a suit. His glasses brightly reflected the moon's light, concealing his eyes from their view.

From his elevated position, the stranger introduced himself as William T. Spears - an administrator at the Grim Reaper Staffing Association.

Or, in order words, _the best and worst thing to happen to Grell_.

Her companion cried in relief, thanking the man for coming to rescue him until he was painfully interrupted by his saviour landing on his head. Flipping open his thick novel, the administrator addressed several of his violations, earning the "temp worker" a terrible stomp halfway through. Afterwards, William bowed before Sebastian, handing him his business card and apologizing on Grell's behalf.

Not without a derisive remark, mind you.

Sebastian, thoroughly amused, simply tossed the card aside, lightly suggesting the society keep a tighter leash on their wayward reapers. Casual remarks from William of the disgusting nature of demons and the usual were cast his way, who subsequently proceeded to drag the offending reaper back to the society for an experience that would make Sebastian's pummelling look like paradise.

Unexpectedly and with as much force as possible, the butler threw the troublesome scythe at the new reaper, whom stopped its momentum with a mere two fingers. A questioning glance was thrown at the demon.

"You forgot that," he said with a cheerful expression.

"Thank you," came the curt response, before the two fully retreated into the darkness. Some muttering something about "overtime" echoed down the alleyway.

 _Looks like Grell can't keep his end of the bargain,_ Seir mused. She watched in indifference as the butler turned back to his contractor.

"Young master," Sebastian kneeled before his quarry, completely ignoring her presence. He placed a finger against his cheek in concern. "You're chilled to the bone. Let us get back to the mansion."

The boy looked utterly exhausted, and could only manage a "Good idea" before standing and tipping over. His servant reached out to catch him when something seemed to snap within the human, causing him to slap away his assistance with newfound strength. Sebastian was genuinely surprised at the reaction, and questioned him in worry.

Ciel blinked. "Nevermind," he brushed off the concern, suddenly losing all fight. "I'm... just tired."

Sebastian looked downtrodden. "...I see."

The third party among them drew arcane power to her fingertips, seeing as there was nothing left for her to warrant lingering around. Muttering the respective incantation like second nature, she was about to teleport to the outskirts of London to begin her search for another hideout when she was stopped by a voice, interrupting her cast.

"Wait," the Phantomhive reached out, though not so far as to touch her. Some life seemed to return to those dull eyes of his as he stared at the mysterious, vibrant colors in her hand. "I'm not done with you."

She blinked, registering his audacity to demand her to stay, and an incredulous smile formed on her face. "So? _I'm_ done with all of this."

"I have… questions." Ciel swayed on his feet, definitely spent after such an eventful day. "Sebastian. Bring her with us."

The butler suddenly hesitated at the command, and she released a bark of laughter. "That reaper did a real number on your dog, boy. At his state, even I am confident that I can beat him."

"Let us return, young master," Sebastian sweetly whispered, betraying no sense of urgency. Keeping an eye on Seir's movements, he carefully lifted up the mortal as he allowed himself to fall into the demon's embrace. All the while, she sported an easy smile.

He expected it, so he did not dare move as she was suddenly upon him in the blink of an eye. Betraying his expectations, however, she did not strike.

"You did not see me," Seir murmured, her hands glimmering with resumed magic. "And I don't bother you."

Without waiting for a response, she disappeared in a flash of light, leaving the butler without much say in the matter.

* * *

Author's Note (Ch. 7):

Lacey Darling: Thank you! That's a very kind thing to say. I also am very much looking forward to introducing the other demons in further detail. And yes, expect that more! I didn't want Ciel and Sebastian to be the center of the story at all, but rather the other demons of Hell that didn't exist in the anime and manga. Truthfully, I focused more on Madam Red and Grell because I did not want Seir to establish a close connection to the two main characters - at least not this soon. So yes, some of the other characters in the anime who did not receive as much spotlight will be doing so here. :P

Thank you to my new followers and the kind reviews!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

It was a few weeks after her eventful experience with Grell and Madam Red. She hasn't seen hide nor tail of the overwhelming reaper since then, and she definitely prefers it that way.

 _He's probably getting what he deserves_ , she mused, laying on the soft comforter inside her new cabin. _They won't kill him_.

When she had returned to her abandoned home, it was almost exactly as she left it. The kitchen window was still shattered from her hasty escape, and Furfur had politely set the detached door against the wall. It didn't appear as though he had touched anything, but she wasn't about to live in a discovered hideout. Without the aid of her friend (slave) however, she didn't feel up to the task of transporting all of her possessions.

So, she moved to the forests surrounding Offham, some distance from London. It was a far cry from the beauty of her old abode and much smaller, but she was able to pour decades of slow-going work in her old home. She was confident that she would get around to making improvements to this one. Eventually.

In her defense, setting barriers yesterday was enough work for today in her book.

Seir stretched in total contentment on her noticeably smaller bed, the thick blanket having turned into some kind of nest. Its warm invitation was impossible to turn down.

Her copy of _Dante's Inferno_ was lost under the folds of the cloud as she nestled into the heavenly material. "I just need a power nap…"

* * *

 _Asmodeus help me…_ she internally groaned.

Even Seir was cringing at her pathetic attempts to seduce her target, but her spell was thankfully doing its job as intended. Having slept most of the day away, she felt it was a good opportunity to get a grasp of her new surroundings. She had found the laborer on her walk along the Medway River, who was carrying planks of wood for the continued construction of a bridge. The porter, upon noticing her, could not tear his eyes off away, going so far as to drop his burden and approach her in a stuttering mess.

A simple infatuation enchantment and he was hooked.

So they found themselves at the nearest bar and seated in the farthest booth, shielded from prying eyes as she pushed her bosom against him. Fingers playfully tapped his nose as the demon giggled at his drunken attempt at a joke.

 _Although_ , she considered as the man slurred his words. _Nothing could be worse than that butler's stupid pun._

They spent an hour in the establishment, with the human content to simply gush about her beauty and hold her close while Seir grew impatient. He had turned the one-sided conversation to the fact that he was trapped in an unhappy marriage, with a wife who does nothing but demand more money and complain about his occupation.

"She doesn't," he hiccupped, taking another swig of beer. "Even bear me children, her _one_ job!"

Seir hummed, drawing circles on his chest out of boredom. "You know, you could always leave her.."

"Oh?" He smiled and hugged her closer, looking at her crimson irises through unfocused, lidded eyes. "And where would I go?"

She smirked impishly, grasping his shirt in her fist..

 _Ah,_ she mused in memory. _Bite my lip, he told me._

Averting her eyes, she pulled at her bottom lip with her teeth, and her prey blushed wildly before finally realizing what she was implying. Slamming some money on the table, he all but carried her out of the bar, shouting his thanks to the staff before escaping into the cold evening air.

Seir took the lead, equally excited but for a more sinister reason, holding his hand and guiding him to a secluded part of the river's shore. At this, he hesitated, perhaps believing that she would have taken them to the local inn, but her dazzling smile trumped any concerns he had at that moment.

* * *

The demon wiped her lips in satisfaction, kicking the limp body of the pallid man into the water. Her eyes followed his voyage to the center of the river before being swept away by the current, carried down its length until she could not see him anymore.

Leaning against the grass, she looked to the other side of the river, watching the sun set and painting the sky brilliant shades of orange and purple.

The Earth's natural wonders would never cease to amaze her.

She stayed like that until night truly fell, and the stars greeted her with their luminescence. "Perhaps I should get back," she muttered to herself, rolling over.

Then she felt it.

It was nothing more than a chill, but she could never mistake it for a simple dip in temperature. No, this sensation made both her blood boil and her skin shiver. She was all too familiar with it, and it put her on edge.

 _What is an_ angel _doing here?!_

Instinct led her to cast a rather powerful cloaking enchantment, and not a moment too soon. A woman came dashing down the road above her, and the sensation only grew stronger. Soft, silver hair framed a beautiful face, and eyes scanned the area, totally alert. She had definitely sensed her too.

In irritation and confusion, the angel huffed as they searched fruitlessly for the sudden spike in demonic energy. The stranger knew that they weren't imagining it, either, and they were determined to find it.

Upon closer inspection as the woman neared the riverbank, Seir could see that she sported lavender irises, laced with suspicion. She held her breath as the angel approached her spot, most likely to inspect the indent in the grass where the demon had decided to linger.

She didn't know what drove her to do so, but as she literally leaned over her Seir entertained the idea of killing the creature right there. Or more specifically, to go straight for the throat, which was fully exposed and ripe for the taking.

So, she did.

With no pretense, she drove her hand into the jugular of the angel, silencing any strangled noise that may have escaped under her vice like grip. Enhancing her superhuman strength with another spell, she was seconds away from crushing their windpipe under her unforgiving hand. Her prey clawed at her grip in desperation, wildly thrashing and even drawing blood in the process. Seir didn't dare to undo her cloak of invisibility as she watched the pest writhe beneath her grasp, expressionless.

Out of nowhere, holy energy seared where hands clasped her wrist and the demon was forced to release her hold with a hiss of pain. The woman collapsed at her feet, barely coming back from the edge of death. However, Seir's battle experience forced her to collect her composure faster than the angel could recover their breath, and Seir mercilessly kicked her injured throat with the toe of her shoe.

 _Hit 'em where it hurts,_ she chuckled.

The divine being was asphyxiating under the assault. The hidden demon was clearly trying to either suffocate her, or render her mute. Probably the former.

A rather nasty blow into her neck confirmed that yes, they _were_ trying to kill her.

Wings burst from their back in a desperate attempt to fend off her assailant, and Seir was forced to stagger at the sudden transformation. Now empowered, the angel paused to press a hand against her bleeding wound and mend the muscle back together. With a grimace, she realized that she would not be able to speak normally for a number of days with how much damage was done.

 _What a disgusting, barbaric creature_ , the angel brooded, rubbing her neck. _And_ two _mongrels lingering so close to London… it seems I will have to double my efforts._

Seir watched as the creature withdrew the extra appendages, herself standing a ways back. The enemy stared in her general direction, although looking past her form, and clenched their fists in restrained anger.

"A coward who doesn't even show themself," she rasped. "Demons truly are nothing but filthy animals. Dirty, underhanded - "

She stopped herself, seeming to reassess the unfavorable position she was in should they decide to engage her again. Although it irritated her to no end, the fact remained that her assailant was still stealthed - quite well, she might add.

Steeling her resolve, the angel turned to leave.

"Filthy animals, you say?"

The same demonic energy from before flared almost oppressively as it revealed itself from thin air. The angel couldn't contain her gasp of surprise as she whipped to face the one who had nearly killed her just moments before.

A woman stood on the grassy bank, arms crossed in disappointment. Hair as white as snow glistened in the starlight, reflecting its luminescence like the moon itself, and her red gown appeared almost ebony in color under the darkness of night. Scarlet eyes shone with a predatory gleam as the demon gazed at her in disdain. With a sneer, she raised her hand to showcase the angel's work, decorated in claw marks. "Who is the animal here?"

"That is hardly an arguable point," the holy being scoffed as she gently touched her neck, feeling the phantom pains of her brutal kicks to the throat. " _You_ are the one who ambushed me."

"As I recall, you were the one who pursued me."

"A trap," she growled as her voice grew hoarse. "How savage."

Seir shrugged in indifference. "Not really, but whatever."

The angel grimaced as the hellion seemed to relax in her presence. The action only further put her on edge. "Just what do you want?" she questioned.

The demon was looking out at the glistening river without giving an answer, contemplative. The enemy was angry, of course, but also conflicted. She could stay to put an end to their miserable existence, or hurry back to London to tend to her mistress as she had originally planned.

Ah, that's right. She was walking this way for an actual reason.

Decision made, she turned to continue her trek inbound.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Ignoring the warning, the angel took another step forward, only to let out a strangled cry as she was violently shocked and fell back onto the grass. Symbols appeared at her feet and she scrambled backwards in fear.

 _Blasted witch…!_

To her dismay, the entire circumference of the runic formula revealed itself at her activation, glowing a soft, otherwise harmless green hue with the demon at its center. Seir couldn't help the wide smile that grew as her prey glanced back at her in panic.

"I've got you caged, little dove," she purred, approaching the cornered angel.

"Let's talk."

* * *

"I hope I made myself clear?"

Angela could not respond, trepidation gripping her heart and information filling her head as the fiend loomed over her. Seir tightened her grasp on the angel's jaw, opening it further and inspecting the contents within. Etched onto her tongue was inscribed a runic seal in the blackest of inks similar to the one she had placed on Grell - although this one ensured that anything spoken of between them could never be reiterated to another being. Dealing with another divine creature, however, the demon had to make the algorithm a bit more complicated in order to promise her silence on the off chance that she or another angel would attempt to fiddle with it.

Her clawed nail glowed like a blacksmith's newly forged blade as she engraved the final layer of her seal, this one making the arcane mark invisible to all but at the presence of concentrated demonic energy. Satisfied, she withdrew her hand with a smile and the angel rubbed her bruising jawline. "There. Please ensure that you carry it through."

Angela refused to speak but gave a small nod, feeling both tightly leashed and thoroughly violated. With her part done, Seir dispelled her barrier in contentment, watching the ancient runes dissipate into nonexistence and freeing her new bird of its cage.

"Fly away, then," she smirked. "I expect good news when you return."

* * *

Author's Note:

I will now try to stick to a biweekly update schedule on Wednesdays and Saturdays!

DragonsCrescent13: Haha, I really feel like sweatshirts and sweatpants are the work of the devil - they make it so easy to be lazy x.x Demons of sloth normally dabble in magics rather than physical combat for obvious reasons, which will be showcased more in the future.

Thank you to all of my followers and new reviews! 3


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Ash checked to make sure that his Queen was fast asleep, his only objective being to get out of there as quickly as possible.

She held many questions for him when he returned earlier that day, conservatively rubbing his neck. It was hard for him to hide his anxiety as he tended to her needs, looking forward to the night's events. She definitely caught onto his off behavior, but thank the Lord that she didn't voice her concerns.

Now, with her day over, his could begin.

Quietly opening the glass doors of her chambers, the angel stepped onto the balcony, pausing for a moment to admire His handiwork painted across the glimmering sky. His glory was something that would always cause him to pause and just soak in His magnificence.

A deep breath.

Climbing up to the railing, he stretched his wings and took off into the beautiful night. With the grace of a cat and speed of a falcon, Ash could not help but feel like the embodiment of perfection in that moment. The beauty of God's natural creations of the Earth could only truly be appreciated by His servants, and he gazed with reverence at the forests that zoomed past him.

He couldn't recall exactly where his target resided, but then again, the angel wouldn't find him if he didn't want to be found. Closing his eyes, he focused all of his senses into trying to detect their signature. The further he flew past London, the harder he reached out. The foliage seemed to stretch forever like a verdant ocean, so much so that his mission is akin to finding a needle in a haystack.

But he wouldn't be deterred so easily.

...There. He almost missed it, but there was no doubt in his mind: an arcane pulse.

Dipping slightly to the right, he focused magical energy into his hand to announce his approach, but there was no way his target wasn't already aware of his presence. The fact that he had felt his essence at all said that they purposely gave him a trail and was willing to entertain him.

The magical energy grew almost overwhelming as he neared, all but crackling in his ears. Ash landed as close as he dared, and he was greeted with a suspicious clearing within the otherwise dense forest.

Before him, a familiar man materialized from thin air. They made eye contact for a moment, and he sported an easy smile.

"Come in," he beckoned.

Walking into the clearing without looking back, the hologram disappeared past a certain point. Not wanting to lose his guide, Ash swallowed his sudden hesitation and followed after him.

 _No_ , he chastised. _You need him._

He couldn't suppress the shiver as he crossed the barrier, nor his gasp of surprise when he was greeted by a looming, enormous mansion. In fact, he realized that it shouldn't even fit in the size of the clearing without overlapping huge towering oaks that would have impeded a building of this measure.

"Close your mouth," the projection chuckled. "You'll catch flies."

"It wasn't this large last time I was here," he muttered, voice hoarse. The man raised an eyebrow at his rasp, but if he was curious he didn't act on it.

Walking up to the gargantuan doors, he tapped the handle with a glowing fingertip. Reacting to his magic, the entrance slowly opened before them, revealing the grand castle within.

"Well," he mused, fluttering inside. Ash trailed behind like a lost dog. "I've had some time to redecorate."

The angel froze at the sight of a mystical dryad approaching the two. With the torso of a beautiful woman and the four-legged body of a doe, the enchanting creature stared at him behind her lenses with disdain, raising her nose and crossing her arms. Her garb was rather strange, too - she was dressed in a rather masculine suit, tailored to her unique body shape.

He was reminded yet again that he was quite literally walking into the lion's den.

"Ah, Perry! Just the one I wanted to see." The magician's projection clapped his hands cheerfully, oblivious to the daggers she was shooting at his guest. "Please take Ash to Lab 431B."

"Lab?" the angel questioned, his imagination filling him with dread. His companion laughed at his concern.

"I'm just taking notes. I would assume you'd want to talk face to face… unless, you would like to volunteer for an experiment?"

"No, thank you," came the quick response. The mage pouted for a moment but smiled afterwards, unfazed.

"Suit yourself. See you soon!"

He disappeared in an instant. Ash had blinked and he was already gone, leaving him with the sneering dryad as his guide. Refusing to even acknowledge him, her hooves clattered on the marble floor as she turned around, trotting down the left hall. The angel struggled to keep up with her unrelenting pace.

One dizzying teleportation later, they soon found themselves before a door that looked like every other in the hall. A sheet of paper hung beside it, depicting a foreign language in elegant script. A golden plate labeled "431B" was nailed to the mahogany wood.

The two lingered before it. No noise could be heard on the other side. The angel, remembering his manners, turned to thank the woman, but she was already turning the corner and vanishing from his sight.

Sighing and steeling his resolve, he turned the gilded knob and entered the room.

Ash was greeted with the same man as before, though this time hunched over a table with his back turned to him. The only difference being that this one was evidently not a projection as his presence was far more evident. A white coat draped carelessly at his elbows and a mess of soft, ivory hair fell to his knees. Furious scribbling could be heard, the man too engrossed to realize that his visitor had arrived.

The angel coughed into his hand. The man's writing paused, and he turned to face him with a glowing smile.

"Ash!"

"I need your help," he stated abruptly before any chance that they could go off topic.

The magician pouted at his exclamation before humming into his hand in mock contemplation, giving him an expectant look. "I would love to help, but…"

Growling, the angel turned, putting his wings within arms reach of the other man. "Yes, I remember."

Suppressing a shiver, Ash allowed him to stroke his wings in appreciation. "What a fine specimen…"

"Hurry up already." Taking a seat, he faced the door and tightly gripped the chair to brace himself. Clicking his tongue at his impatience, the mage plucked the first feather, eliciting a yelp from the heavenly being. They continued like that for what seemed like an eternity to the angel until his assailant acquired their previously agreed amount. Satisfied, he gathered the soft plumage in his arms and bound them with the twine he had on the bookshelf.

"So," he sang cheerfully, setting the bundle on the table and crossing his arms. "What can I help you with?"

Ash wiped a few tears of pain from his eyes. He went through too much abuse this week.

"Uh… yes. Right." The moment he tried to mention the traumatic incident, however, his tongue refused to cooperate, and to his horror the dignified angel spewed out incoherent words like a newborn babe.

"Pardon?"

Frustrated, he tried again, only to result in the same jumbled mess of unintelligible speech. Growling in frustration, he grabbed his host by the shoulders, shaking him violently as if he could force the explanation into his brain.

The wizard grabbed his face so tightly Ash thought bones would break. "Stop, you idiot!"

Prying open his jaw, much to the misery of the angel, he pulled his tongue into the artificial light of the room. In response to his touch, the seal bled into existence, and the wizard whistled at its obvious complexity.

"Who did you piss off?" he mused, impressed.

Ash frowned in irritation, unable to respond both because of the tight grip on his tongue and the seal. The mage released his hold after getting a closer look at the delicate design, lightly slapping his cheek in condolence.

"We'll talk price later. I'll need some time to release the seal first, then you'll explain the mess you got into."

"Alright," he muttered petulantly, rubbing his abused face. "Can I go?"

He winced at the sharp bark of laughter, and the magician pat his head in a placating manner. "I need to sketch it first, so open your mouth and keep it open."

He hummed in appreciation as the angel complied, pulling out a fresh sheet of parchment.

"Also, I'm not entirely sure how many layers your friend put into this, so we'll be seeing each other a _lot_ more while I decode each one."

The angel let out an audible groan. _Damned witch…_

* * *

Seir sneezed, jolting her awake.

Rubbing her nose, she picked up the book she'd dropped, mildly upset that she'd lost her place. _Someone must be thinking about me._

* * *

"...You can't."

Placing the sketch inside a spare tome, the magician cast his guest a questioning gaze. "Why not?"

The angel rubbed the back of his head. His suggestion to tag along in his daily life made him anxious. It would undoubtedly speed up the decryption process exponentially, but how would he explain his presence to anyone - most of all his Queen?

He felt he knew the mage fairly well. He was spontaneous, laid back, and charismatic to a fault, which could interfere in his off work should he come along. Furthermore, the last thing he could ever imagine him doing was conforming to the strict lifestyle of servitude, which would only cause him more trouble if he didn't take the role seriously.

"You're quite clueless," his host chuckled, looking at his concerned expression. "I'll just remain invisible and work in your room until I actually need to test something on you."

Ash blinked, then sighed in relief. "That would work. I'm just not so familiar in the magical arts…"

"It'd be a sin if you were," he jested, sweeping his eyes across his bookshelf. Pulling several out, he set them on the table and withdrew the sheet that he was working on before the angel barged in. "Are you free to meet tomorrow? I would like to finish some things before we proceed."

"Of course." Relieved to know that his predicament would be taken care of, he stood up from his seat and smoothed any wrinkles from his pristine suit. For the first time that night, he genuinely smiled and held a hand out to the magician.

"Thank you, Merlin."

The mage smiled in turn, firmly shaking his hand. "Of course. Pleasure doing business with you."

With a wave, Ash exited a room. Though, deciding it best to avoid encountering any of the mage's familiars, he took off from the closest window, with the wizard seeing him off to ensure he wasn't obliterated by the barrier.

The angel now gone, his lips melted to their normal indifference. Turning back to the lab, he shut the door behind him and withdrew the tome he had put away a few minutes prior, flipping to the loose page containing the intricate conundrum of Ash's seal. The delicate swirls and strokes taunted him, and the longer he stared at it, the tighter his grip on the leatherbound book became.

He already knew who the angel had run into. Her name was written all over her work.

Merlin let a self-deprecating smile form on his features, not daring to touch the mockery of such calligraphic mastery that he'd hastily scrawled on the parchment.

 _I suppose it's finally time._

* * *

Author's Note (Ch. 9):

Shadowing: Calculated ;P That will be explained in the future!

-The mechanics of sealing are similar to fuinjutsu in Naruto (if you're familiar with it), in which the magician can put an infinite amount of layers depending on their intentions. However, more layers means a greater chance of failure due to having extraneous, unnecessary formulae. Like computer coding, excessive layers opens more opportunity for mistakes. A true master can manipulate seals into whatever they want using as many or as few layers as they please.

-We'll be returning to Seir and our favorite angry child next chapter!


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

A furious knock rattled her cabin. Seir groaned, tempted to smite them at the spot.

Winter had hit England and hit it hard. She absolutely despises the cold, going so far as to say she'd rather die than brave the chill for her next meal. Excessive enchantments have been scattered throughout her small home, turning the temperature far higher than the hottest of summers, yet with the snow frosting her windows she got cold just from looking at it.

Thus, fortifying her small property with a plethora of traps and barriers that could destroy a country, she nestled in her cocoon of clouds and fell asleep for what she could only assume was weeks. She really hadn't been expecting company at all - her secluded abode was in the middle of a dense forest, and she'd be hard pressed to find visitors on a good day.

They knocked again, to the point where the windows threatened to shatter. She didn't have the will or the energy to move.

" _Seir!_ "

With her lack of response, the door was wretched open, and in charged a fuming Grell.

 _That explains why the traps didn't go off,_ she sighed to herself as she peered at him. She really wasn't expecting to see him for a good long time after he got dragged back to headquarters.

" _Where are you?!_ "

His first idea was to head for the bed, and he stomped over to the mess of pillows and blankets. Taking a wild stab, he shoved his hand into the cushions and grasped the first solid object he found, violently pulling it towards him and fishing out a comatose Seir.

"What the _fuck_ was that?!" he roared, shaking her by her wrist.

Her head flopped around like a flimsy doll's. It was hard to register what he was saying. "...what?"

Disgusted, he dropped her and she collapsed on the bed in a heap. "With Sebby! Two months ago! I _needed_ you and you left me!"

"...Too loud."

"I thought we were friends," he continued, now speaking loudly but not quite shouting. He plopped himself on the bed next to her, crossing his arms like a petulant child. Seir pulled the covers over her, feeling the chill of winter invade her sanctuary through the open door.

"Cold…"

Grell growled. "Who cares?! I'm asking you - "

Seir sent him her worst death glare, promising eternal pain and suffering if he didn't do as she asked. Begrudgingly, he crossed the living space and slammed the door shut.

"Hungry…"

The reaper stared at the pathetic demon before dragging a tired hand down his face. He felt like he aged a thousand years in the mere minute he's been here.

And thus, he had set out and retrieved a poor unfortunate soul who happened to be skating along the frozen Medway River and was now waiting for his friend to finish her meal. After a few minutes she decided she was thoroughly satisfied and kicked the corpse off of her sheets, which she realized she would inevitably have to wash. Wiping her lips with the back of her hand, she beckoned him over.

Though still angry he complied, and was surprised when she pulled him forward by the arm and pushed up his sleeve back to reveal the Seal of Seir, still as perfectly etched into his skin as the day she placed it.

"What do you think this does?"

"Let's you track me and walk through your barriers, you said." He sniffed, not quite knowing how it was related.

"I also said it _protects_ you, dumbass." Seir pushed his appendage away, angry that the reaper had the nerve to disturb her hibernation. "I wasn't worried because it's designed to protect your body against a fatal blow, though it would have depleted the energy I've infused in it and I'd have to draw another one."

Grell paused, frowning. "You never told me - "

"I did," she huffed. "You just never listen."

Given that he didn't exactly have a reason to disbelieve her, the reaper sat himself on the bed, pacified. "Well, if it makes you feel better," he murmured. "I was demoted to _assistant_ at the society until I can reap some actual 'troublesome' souls."

"You deserve it," she chuckled.

* * *

It was another beautiful night. The storm has long since passed, and remnants of frost scattered the city's walkways like dust collecting in the corners of a room. Snow reflected the both the radiance of the moon and the soft luminescence of the city lamps, causing them to glow with an iridescent sheen against the dark cobblestone. Windows across the metropolis glittered like fireflies from her high vantage point, and the painting of stars against the sable canvas of night made the entire city look like the picture of perfection.

Too bad it was still too cold for her tastes.

Seir couldn't pause to admire the picturesque scene any longer than a few moments lest she lose her companion, who himself was enjoying regained his freedom to the fullest extent. Leaping across the icy rooftops, the two of them traversed the scope of London faster than any carriage could possibly take them. The humans that roamed the streets this late would never notice them under the cover of night, as they scaled the buildings far too quickly for them to even realize.

She greatly wished she could go back to her original plan of hibernating until winter receded, but Grell had adamantly refused to leave her until they could spend some "quality time together". He somehow even managed to guilt her into doing so when she wouldn't relent to his pestering.

And so, quality time with Grell meant letting him drag her wherever he wanted for a day.

At last, they stopped on the roof a building in one of the shadier areas of London. The reaper stretched his arms in contentment, breathing in the cold air and feeling rejuvenated. "Isn't this great?"

"No," came the terse reply, crossing her arms in a vain attempt to retain heat. To her chagrin, Grell picked her up and twirled her around, laughing like a prepubescent girl.

"Lighten up! Who knows when I'll see you again~"

At his statement, her lips clamped shut. She couldn't find it in her to tell him to stop.

With his grip still firm around her frame, he suddenly froze as still as a statue. The reaper sniffed the air like a dog, and with her ear against his chest she could hear his heart rate pick up. Seir was confused for a moment before she realized that something had caught his attention like a bloodhound on a scent trail. Dread filled her, and she could only latch onto his arms as he took off at the speed of light.

The reaper scaled the distance of London faster than they were travelling before, leaping on the rooftops as if they weren't coated in ice. She could hear him murmuring nonsense about "hot men" and "radars".

She could only grimace as the winter chill bit her nose.

* * *

"We stopped… for _this_?"

The pair were watching, one in pity and the other in interest, at the Phantomhive child being dragged around by a feral man on a leash. The lavishly suited though unkempt stranger was fixated on a stray dog, whining and clawing pathetically on all fours in resistance to Ciel's grip.

Grell giggled, gazing at the boy's current guardian with a suggestive grin. "He's gorgeous~ Why does that brat get all of the hot ones?!"

 _He's hopeless_ , she groaned, dragged a hand down her tired face. "Grell, that's not…"

Her left peripheral was suddenly empty, and she blinked. He wasn't next to her anymore.

"...If I knew how troublesome he was, I would've killed him," she grumbled. Landing silently behind him, she zoned in on his ramblings about attractive men, barely restraining himself from leaping on the 'handsome' stranger who in turn seemed utterly disinterested in him, or his surroundings in general. The Phantomhive boy just seemed perpetually angry, and now was no exception as he glared at the redhead in disdain.

Grell finally noticed the noble boy's gaze and smirked knowingly. "Sorry, did you want to avenge your precious auntie?"

Seir could see his grip tighten on the leash, however minuscule his human strength was. "Shut up," he ground out.

The reaper pouted mockingly. "I don't see Sebby here… what's a boy like _you_ going to do?"

"Shut up!"

In response to Ciel's mounting fury, his companion growled. Grell blinked.

"Ah, he's your guard dog today?"

Snarling, he leapt towards the reaper, whom opened his arms more than willingly with a cheer. To his major disappointment, he realized that he was not the target of the shaggy man's desires only when he was long gone and Ciel has just brushed past him. The boy barely made eye contact with herself before he had already turned the corner, entirely focused on whatever his objective was this unfortunate night.

"Oh," the reaper whined. "Come _on!_ "

"You're an idiot." Cuffing him on the back of the head and ignoring his cry of pain, Seir took to the rooftops to pursue the hellhound. It only took a moment for Grell to catch up to her, to which he looked at her as if she was crazy.

"Why are _you_ chasing them?" An accusatory eyebrow lifted itself, and she could only scoff at his asinine assumption.

"You're not gonna let them go that easily, and I told you we'd spend today together." His face morphed into one of happiness, involuntarily drawing her sneer. "I'm not seeing you for another _decade_ after this, you wench."

"I love you too," the redhead managed through a watery smile. It didn't take more than a few moments to reach the boy, cutting off their brief exchange, who had stood back as his pet charged forward to an unassuming shop across the street.

" _To-Die list, number four hundred ninety three: butler and puppeteer to the house of Mandalay, Drossel Keinz,"_ Grell recited beside Ciel, who whipped his head at the reaper's sudden appearance. Curiosity briefly flared in his sapphire eye as he gazed at the mystical book in his hands.

"What're you waiting for?" Seir chided impatiently. Ciel blinked, and the human didn't need anymore prompt than that as he dashed after the feral man, whom had crashed through the display window without hesitation.

The trio barged into the shop, eyes landing on the demon dog as he shook a doll in his mouth fervently. Upon noticing their arrival, however, he bounded over to Ciel and placed the toy in his lord's expectant hand. There was a pause in the boy's movements, as if something about the doll cause him enough hesitation to give it a second look. From the corner of his eye, Ciel noticed an open door that led to the back of the shop. Taking a moment to gather his wits, he sprinted back outdoors without a glance at his party. Grell and Seir followed closely behind without a word, and the three of them were greeted with a gargantuan mansion that honestly looked like it was out of a disgusting fairy tale.

Truly. The architecture seemed horrendous and tacky to her standards, and the integrity in some parts of the edifice was severely lacking. Rooms stuck out of the house with seemingly no support whatsoever, almost as though a child had pieced the building together with all of the misshapen pieces he had in his possession. Sutcliffe clearly had a different idea of architectural beauty when he outwardly commented on its beauty.

He had no sense of the term 'aesthetically pleasing'.

The boy turned to face the both of them, his features determined. His tone was nothing but confident and authoritative when he simply stated, "Protect me."

She only paused to register his audacity (yet again) and audibly scoffed. Grell did the same.

"What?" he asked in disbelief.

"I'll grant both of you any request."

"Please," the reaper waved his disinterest. "I'm not so easy that you can buy me - "

"You can do whatever you want with Sebastian for a day," he interjected, a knowing smile on his face.

Grell hesitated, taking a moment to process his offer. When his obtuse brain finally connected his thoughts, he squealed - _squealed_ \- and leaned in very close to Ciel. "Does that mean I can kiss him?!"

"Whatever you want."

" _Count me in!_ " he shrieked, absolutely bought in to the whims of the arrogant child. Seir, on the other hand, crossed her arms, disinterested.

The Phantomhive boy frowned as he turned to the more enigmatic of the two. Grell was one-dimensional as far as his desires went, but he lacked too much knowledge on the woman to gain her assistance without much argument. Seir herself was none too keen to assist him on whatever merry quest he'd embarked on.

"My offer still stands to you," he said, making eye contact with her burgundy irises. Boredom was all he found on her face.

"You have nothing of interest to me," came the curt response. Grell latched onto her arm, bleeding from his nose.

"Give me your day with Sebby!" he cried. The demon felt no remorse as she shook him off with enough force to decapitate a normal man. Ciel was at a loss. It was clear to him that she would not be swayed by any human wants or needs.

Grell smirked internally. Still riding his high on what would be an excellent day with his husband-to-be, he felt enough pity to throw the boy a bone.

"You know," he started, swaying on his feet innocently. His companion was already suspicious the moment he opened his mouth, and her face promised pain if he said anything _remotely_ incriminating. Too bad for her - he wasn't feeling very loyal at the moment. "You rich folk _sure_ know how to spoil yourselves, am I right?"

Ciel raised an eyebrow at him, not quite understanding.

"Your beds must feel like _clouds_ \- " The demon snarled as she was at his throat at an instant. She had an iron grip on the collar of his shirt as she easily raised him off of his feet in an attempt to strangle him.

"Do you like luxury?" the boy asked in genuine curiosity. Her venomous " _no"_ was overlapped with the reaper's wheezing _"yes"_ before she wrapped a delicate hand around his neck. Ciel completely ignored the thrashing redhead as he rubbed his chin in thought.

"I can get you the largest, softest bed in existence, with sheets made from Chinese silk and stuffed with eiderdown," he started, theatrically waving his arms around like a businessman making a pitch (which, in all honesty, is what he _was_ doing). "I have a spare room in my mansion with floor-to-ceiling windows that happens to capture _all_ of the sun's heat and has the best view on the estate. It is in the most silent part of the mansion, and we can have only the finest cuisine delivered straight to your bedside for every meal."

He could only watch in suspense as she remained motionless, not even blinking when Grell's movements started to slacken in her grip.

"...How many books do you have?"

He held his breath. "I have an entire library."

"I'll be staying there as long as I please?"

"As long as I rule the estate."

The reaper collapsed at her feet in a heap as she released him without warning, gasping for air. Seir turned up her nose in disdain at the pathetic excuse for a death god, never once facing to address the human. "I expect I won't be disturbed."

"Of course," he returned, releasing the air he had held in suspense.

 _Ironically_ , he mused, _she was too_ easily _swayed by human desires_.

* * *

Author's Note:

-This chapter is a bit longer than usual. ^^


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Excitement laced his voice as Grell pushed the doors open with gusto. "Let's go!"

What greeted them was unexpected, yet... anticlimactic, to say the least.

The large space was dark, illuminated by a few candles hung on the columns supporting the room which gave it a far more ominous feel that it should have had otherwise. The tiled floors were spotless, and the entire capacity was empty save for a lone girl standing on a platform in the center. Upon closer inspection, she looked entirely lifeless with her glassy, unblinking eyes. Grell leaned forward, gazing at the girl's hand with interest. "Hey, doesn't that ring look awfully familiar?"

When Ciel moved closer to inspect the jeweled band, the girl shot her hand out and grasped his throat with an incredible force. Her form didn't move an inch as he struggled against her hold, and in his desperation he called out for his demon hound, only to see the dog preoccupied with a wayward doll and completely ignorant to his lord's plight.

The boy could only curse the useless creature as the strange girl continued to cut off his air supply. Suddenly, the crushing pressure was released and he unceremoniously fell to the ground. He managed to blink away his tears to peer at his savior, and above him hung Grell from the chandelier, clicking his tongue in distaste.

"You ought to call the right name," he sang smugly. With a flair, he whipped out two scissors from his coat pockets in what she could only assume he meant to be impressive. Ciel blinked, registering the fact that he held a common household item in his hands and calling him out on such.

Grell's indignant shouting blurred into the background as Seir found herself approaching the forgotten hound. Noticing her, he dropped the toy and cocked his head in curiosity.

Kneeling before him, the demon's hand reached out and ran its fingers through his mess of hair. Pluto found himself in pure bliss under her soft hand.

"You're a cute pup, aren't ya?" she mused. His foot pounded against the tile floors as she reached to scratch under his chin. His black irises peered at her under languid lids as Seir paused.

An otherwise unassuming dog collar poked out from underneath his neat white dress shirt, but she recognized the power imbued in it and let out an amused chuckle.

"Hey now," she placated when she tugged on it, causing him to whine in displeasure. "I can help you, only if you promise to be loyal to me."

Her words caused him to hesitate and make a questionable sound. Glancing at their two companions who were preoccupied with the body of the girl now on the ground, she flared her demonic energy for a moment to get the dog to recognize her power.

Pluto only blinked and continued to pull against the collar.

"...Ah," she mused, understanding. "So it's the butler."

Strength meant everything to a demon, so it would only make sense for the hound to feel compelled to remain loyal to the Duke rather than her. However, allegiance to either of them would mean naught as long as the restricting collar remained around his person.

 _Does Sebastian know?_ Her fingers fiddled with the crude object. _Perhaps he felt it but doesn't think it important? Or is he not proficient enough in magic to undo the binding?_

If the latter was the case, then that just brought her closer to identifying the mysterious demon.

A sudden song tittered through the room like a songbird in a hallway.

" _Wood and clay will wash away, wash away, wash away…"_

All of their attentions were brought to the source of the sound, emanating from a set of closed doors across from the entrance. With a flair they were swung open, and from the darkness emerged a haughtily dressed figure holding dimly lit candelabra. With a dead look in his eyes, the stranger mused that the girl before Ciel was a failure, and with little inflection in his voice recited that he must make them "much, much stronger".

Before the boy could take further action, the man raised his arm and recited the same tune, only this time chanting "iron and steel" rather than wood and clay. Behind him, four of the dead looking girls approached their group from behind him, eliciting a gasp from both Ciel and Grell.

Determined for his future date with Sebastian, as thickheaded as he was, the reaper charged at them with his pitiful scissors only to have his strikes deflected with ease.

"Grell," Ciel started with that same, aggravating tone. "You and Pluto stay here and play."

"Huh?" the redhead gasped in disbelief, only to barely dodge a strike from the doll that had blocked him a moment before with a yelp.

The Phantomhive heir shot Seir a look before taking off down the hall. "You, with me!"

"You're inhuman!" Grell screeched as his female companion followed behind him, leaving the reaper with the dog and four crazy comatose girls.

Ciel seemed deep in thought as the two ascended up the stairs, completely ignorant to the fact that they just fed half of their party to the hounds, so to speak. He furrowed his brows in a determination that she seldom saw amongst her kind, and Seir felt the smallest sense of recognition for the boy's iron will.

 _Why are they always so arrogant, though?_ she mused, recalling their only two instances together. She let out a slight chuckle at the thought, because imagine a _child_ commanding her, though it went unnoticed by her companion. The pair reached another door soon enough, and upon opening it they were greeted with a grander room than before, this one pleasantly lit. They had only made it halfway across the room before a presence made itself known.

"Ciel Phantomhive."

The boy froze upon hearing his name and looked up at the source. The same strange man from before gazed upon the child with no expression.

"You are very beautiful," he remarked. "I must make you into one of my dolls."

"Where is Elizabeth?" the Phantomhive heir questioned firmly, ignoring his previous statements. The stranger in turn did not answer his question, but rather continued his own musings, asking himself what kind of material was worthy for a doll of Ciel.

 _There's no time to waste_ , he internally sneered. Gritting his teeth, he continued on his pursuit with Seir right behind him.

The man's voice echoed behind them like a persistent ghost.

" _Build it up with silver and gold, silver and gold, silver and gold…"_

Behind the next door, they were greeted with quite a strange sight.

A black, all encompassing room, decorated from top to bottom with an assortment of circus masks. What was unnerving, however, was their continued chorus to the stranger's melody in perfect harmony. She could see that Ciel was slowly being driven to madness with today's events as he forcefully shut his ears and made a dash for the other side.

Up another agonizing flight of stairs to where even she was out of breath, because _fuck stairs_ , they burst into another room. Ciel in his desperation shut the door closed with all of his weight, breathing heavily. Seir sank against the wall, feeling the muscles in her leg burn after years of general disuse.

After allowing himself a moment to decompress, Ciel's breath caught in his throat beside her. Following his gaze, she looked to see his eyes stuck on the strange sigil drawn in the center of the room. It wasn't a rune that she recognized, but it clearly held significance to the child, if his distraught features were anything to go by.

"What is that?" she found herself asking.

Ciel didn't speak, his eyes glued to the symbol but his mind entirely elsewhere. She wasn't expecting a response all things considered, and resigning herself to this fact she opted to trace the design to her memory. If anything, it would make a nice template for a new seal in the future.

"I won't lose her…" she heard him murmur under his breath. From the corner of her eye, Seir could see his fist was shaking in barely contained fury. "Not this time…"

Out of respect, or perhaps pure laziness, the demon remained silent, offering him a listening ear and her mere presence. Ciel continued to mutter, but without context it was just an incoherent mess. Through it all, he seemed to frown deeper and his eyes spoke of anguish, yet not once did he shed a tear during his internal battle.

The demon was reminded yet again that despite his outward appearance, he was the farthest thing from a child. The sheer insanity of this whole endeavor would press on his fragile psyche, but as heat tempers the steel, so would trials strengthen his mettle. Assuming he lives for many years doing... whatever he does, his future self wouldn't bat an eye at even the most grotesque and outlandish sights.

Seir found herself looking forward to seeing what he would become.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and in a moment she was on her feet and baring her teeth in a seemingly primal state of aggression. Ciel snapped out of his reverie and stared at her growling at nothing (possibly thinking her crazy), until Sebastian leapt through the open window with more force than necessary, leaving cracks in the floor from his landing. Upon realizing whose presence she had felt, however, she dropped her stance like a hot coal with a blank expression on her face.

He, too, blinked upon noticing her, although he did not relent his guard entirely. In fact, her being there only raised his suspicion, and the butler didn't peel his eyes from hers as Ciel demanded his attention with a surprised shout.

"Yes, my lord?" Absent minded was the only word to describe his tone.

His servant's stare did not go unnoticed by his master, though the Phantomhive could not decipher their silent conversation. Regardless, the boy would not permit such blatant disrespect to himself, and in turn burned a glare into Sebastian until he would give him his undivided attention.

Thus, a strange staring contest ensued.

Ciel crossed his arms, growing irritated, and Seir did the same as the demon before her tried to pin her down with his gaze. Contrary to Ciel's belief, she had as much of an idea as him as to what the butler was trying to convey. However, she refused to back down or feel uncomfortable under his stare, because honestly she couldn't care less about what he would do. She could use Ciel as a hostage if she really needed, but to be fair she's lived long enough to consider how she wanted to go out.

Would she be okay dying here?

...Yeah, she could die happy knowing Grell would suffer under him.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Ciel growing impatient, but still holding onto that stubborn nature of his he wouldn't budge. Feeling bad enough for him, Seir would generously break the silence.

"Your master said something, _dog_ ," she finally said.

Taking the opening, the boy again demanded his attention with a curt "Sebastian," and finally those unamused burgundy eyes met his.

However, before he could continue. the butler spoke. An unassuming smile graced his lips. "It seems your birthdays are cursed with misfortune, no? Your home, your parents, and now… Lady Elizabeth?"

Clearly, he was not feeling too submissive today.

Ciel, affronted by both the demon speaking out of turn and the comment itself, blinked in shock before anger filled him. "You dare?!"

"Dare to what?" he responded pleasantly, a shit-eating grin on his devilish features.

"To speak to me in such a manner!"

"Young master," Sebastian interjected, his face falling into one of irritation now. "You said that you would take care of some 'trifling business'. Did that business include gallivanting with another demon, of all creatures?"

Both of them were refusing to meet her gaze, which allowed her a front row seat to their dispute. A place she was quite content to remain in; arguing was much too bothersome.

Ciel's features darkened at the accusation. "Watch yourself, Sebastian. Your jealousy has no place here - you may believe otherwise, but I will honor the contract that binds us."

A flash of emotion that she couldn't decipher sparked in the butler's eyes before it was gone the next moment. However, to their satisfaction Sebastian relented his hostile demeanor. Fully turning to his master, he deeply bowed in repentance.

"Apologies, my lord," he said demurely to placate the young heir. "I did not mean to doubt your intentions."

Ciel looked down at his grovelling servant, the action enough to satisfy him. "Good."

Seir stared at the picturesque scene as Sebastian straightened himself, gazing at his master with the same emotion as before. Then it hit her.

Pride, she realized. _It was pride_.

* * *

Author's Note:

Hi guys! Sorry for missing two updates last week; got a lot of work before Thanksgiving break and I wanted to spend this Wednesday with family. I will try to also update this Saturday as well - one of these days I will do a double update to make up for it!

Fifi: Haha, same… I'm going to school farther north than what I'm used to and definitely can't wait until spring. OTL

Miss Meep: It's not as funny as I could have planned it, but then again they haven't had much interaction with each other yet. There will be funny moments between them in the future! :D

steph557: I can only imagine what it feels like x.x I'll bet it's like heaven on earth LOL

James Birdsong: Thank you for reviewing so often! I've definitely noticed, and I appreciate the support! :D

Thank you to all of my new followers, current followers, and reviewers! I love you~

Also a fun note: I signed up for a class in the spring that it all about angelology, demonology, and apocalyptic literature in early Judaism and Christianity. If you couldn't tell I'm REALLY excited! :D I'll definitely apply a lot of what I learn into my writing in the coming months, so stay tuned!

Happy Thanksgiving!


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Seir found herself deep in thought. Admittedly, this wasn't the best situation to "put on her thinking cap" as she called it, but she took solace in the fact that Ciel would honor their deal - in other words, leash his dog. Her contemplative state was a familiar place to her, withdrawing into her mind so much so that she could concentrate wholly on the problem at hand, whether it be seal designing, or in this case, identifying the mysterious demon before her.

Despite her affinity as a creature of sloth, or rather _because_ of it, the one thing she enjoyed more than luxury is a problem that tested her mental acuity.

She doesn't have many experiences with Sebastian, but she could entertain some hypotheses with her observations despite some being rather groundless. Considering that she is familiar with the seven Kings, she knew that his power was not up to their level but still greater than hers, and could then safely guess that he was one of the Dukes. That leaves twenty-three possible demons.

 _Actually_ , she corrected, the thought pulling her lips into a grimace. _Twenty-two._

The affinity of a demon can be made apparent by observing the demon's behavior. Alternatively, she could identify them with her magic, but she doubted it would go unnoticed by him, and until she figured out who he was she quite liked her head attached.

All demons possess the seven deadly sins to varying degrees, but ultimately their personalities and characteristics show preference to one particular sin. The only affinities should would peg Sebastian for would be either pride or wrath, but judging from the way he looked at Ciel she would more confidently assume the former. This leaves four possible demons: Dantalion, Astaroth, Berith, and Barbatos.

Now, the most baseless assumption she had on him was that he was not proficient at magic, garnered from the fact that he did not remove Pluto's collar despite it a trivial angelic binding. It could just be that he chose not to for whatever reason, but entertaining her observation she could confidently rule out Berith, since he has written tomes on magic theory which she has read.

 _So,_ she mused. _Dantalion, Astaroth, or Barbatos?_

She withdrew a sharp breath as she was pulled rather violently from her mental space. Her eyes were blurry as she was jostled rather harshly, and blinking rapidly she was able to witness Sebastian grabbing Ciel and leaping out of the window. The boy's wide blue eye was focused entirely on her for the hot second that they made eye contact before he was taken away, presumably far from the mansion to safety.

...Wait. Safety?

Snapping fully back into a reality, she found herself alone with the strange man from before. When she took in her surroundings, she realized that she was among a sea of broken bodies. Pretty little heads have been ripped in a gruesome fashion, and the girls were as lifeless as dolls. It took a moment for her to register that they were, in fact, dolls, and she remembered what kind of situation she got into that night.

Her scarlet eyes were observative when they made eye contact with his glassy ones. He looked equally as unconcerned.

"So I said to myself," he murmured, expressionless. "She would make a beautiful doll."

"Are you threatening me?" Seir mused.

Unblinkingly, he shook his head. "I say to her, she does not possess the Hope Diamond; therefore she does not belong to Master."

The demon would be hard pressed to hesitate in his presence, especially since she has not seen him lift a finger to fight once. The music box hanging from his neck occupied both of his hands, and he did not flinch away when she gingerly approached his form.

Leaning in, she plucked a piece of straw poking from underneath his dress shirt. He did not react if her breathy chuckle bothered him at all.

"You know," she murmured seductively as she rolled the silage between her fingers. "I could free you from your master, if you wished it."

Seir waited a moment, but the man's eyes were as glassy as his creations. Seeing as she wasn't going to get a response, she found herself quickly growing bored with the dead man walking. Clicking her tongue in disappointment, she flicked the hay in his expressionless face before turning to walk away.

"Always the ones I'm _willing_ to help that don't want it," she muttered. "Why do I even bother?"

She didn't look back as she approached the window that Sebastian had so enthusiastically jumped out of, propping a heeled foot on the ledge in order to follow his trace. Her movements were deliberately slow to give the puppeteer a moment to think, and a knowing smile graced her features at the tug on her sleeve.

At the demon's pause, he mustered up the courage to speak.

"So I said to her," he whispered, more to himself than her. "Freedom is not my desire."

Her voice did not raise an octave higher than his. "What do you wish for?" she murmured.

A flicker of determination passed in those lifeless orbs of his, and her smirk grew wide at the delicious sight. The puppet did not blink as her eyes sparked an ominous hue of scarlet.

"So I say to myself… to please Master."

"Intriguing." Seir rubbed her chin as she laid witness to the girl on the table. The puppeteer walked around to the opposite side, fiddling with the tools before him as if he was unsure how to proceed. The girl herself looked entirely at peace considering her circumstances. She could only imagine how great an eternal rest must feel.

...There she goes again.

Ignoring her pessimistic thoughts, she turned her attention to her new companion who now looked terribly lost, which she considered an upgrade from his expressionless face from before.

"So I thought to myself, I must create the perfect doll to please Master."

"And pray tell, what constitutes a perfect doll?"

"A doll that is both flexible but strong." He absentmindedly caressed the face of his latest creation, drawing Seir's attention to the unnatural sheen of her skin. "A doll that does what Master demands."

The demon stared at the girl's features, a nagging thought at the back of her mind. She felt as though she recognized her from somewhere, but she had the farthest idea as to from where.

"I can improve your dolls," she said offhandedly. Despite not moving it was obvious that the man was attentive to her every word. "Though I will not help without a promise of payment."

"Payment, so I ask her?" The way he cocked his head in curiosity may have been cute he his eyes weren't so damn lifeless.

Her head whipped sharply to the entryway as she felt a surge of demonic energy, and one would have to be entirely deaf to miss the booming howl that shook the edifice to its very foundation. Not only that, but it looks like the guard dog brought his pack, too.

 _A shame,_ she thought to herself as she gave the puppeteer one last glance. _I think I could've gotten creative with some of my seals here…_

Nonetheless, there was nothing she could do about it. "If you survive this," she murmured with a devious grin. "Then we'll talk."

In the next instant, she seemed to vanish into thin air - and not a second too soon, as the demon hound's paws pounded in the halls and mercifully past his workshop. Drossel could only clean his tools and prop his newest doll against a chair as time ticked on, and he had just disappeared into the rafters as the door was swung open, revealing an unceasingly angry Ciel and his two servants.

Unbeknownst to the dollmaker, Seir too found herself among the wooden beams of the ceiling to give herself a better view of the show. Grell gave her a passing glance, sensing that she was cloaked judging from the way his two companions did not so much as look at her, and trailed behind Sebastian as his master ran up to the girl and shook her in desperation.

"Lizzie," he shouted with a hint of madness in his voice. "Lizzie!"

Slowly yet surely, her emerald irises peaked out under her heavy eyelids. Ciel gave a sigh of relief when he realized she wasn't comatose, and Seir could make out a lethargic smile on the doll's face from her aerial viewpoint.

In front of her, the puppeteer's features were devoid of emotion as he announced his presence to the party below, though they were more focused on the girl as she started to move. Tugging at marionette strings tied to the girl's limbs, he effortlessly lifted her high into the air. In as dramatic a fashion as she could have possibly witnessed, Drossel moved her body like an extension of his own, gracefully catching the polearm thrown her way, and almost as if she were then moving on her own he maneuvered her body to slash at the Phantomhive boy with abandon. Sparing a glance from where the weapon was projected, she could not fathom where it could have come from.

Her shrieks drew the demon's attention back to the battle at hand, unable to spare another second to the thought. Sebastian held Ciel close to his form as he dodged Drossel's strikes with the elegance of a ballet dancer. A well aimed swing at the butler forced his to grab the hilt with a hand to pause its descent, and she could hear him request something of Grell.

At first, she could see his reluctance as he played with the tips of his scissors.

Then Sebastian shot him a flirtatious smile in askance, and _fuck is he an incubus or something?_

The reaper's swooning tone reflected her shook nerves for a moment before she reminded herself: _If I can ignore Asmodeus - the personification of_ sex _itself - then a smile from some random demon is nothing._

Exactly.

 _...But it's okay to appreciate the finer things in life, right?_

Seir almost growled out loud as her irrational brain reared its ugly head.

 _Nice of you to show up,_ her right brain snarked.

 _Nice to be back, now that you actually need me._ Good old reliable left brain.

There's a fine line between genius and madness, right?

...She's not going crazy.

Ciel's desperate cry snapped her back into focus - she needed to do something about her attention problem - in time to see Grell strike down the girl. There was no remorse in the reaper's face as the young boy kneeled before the doll, face stricken with grief. Sebastian lifted a string from her body which led up to the puppeteer among the rafters, drawing their attention to the man himself.

Drossel looked as bored as he could be as he effortlessly lifted his arms, and in that instant he had the three on the floor effectively bound by his strings.

"So I say to myself, what materials shall my new dolls be made of?"

The butler was evidently unamused. "Then I ask you this: what are you made of?"

The puppeteer blinked at his remark, repeating the question to himself. Seir could see the conflict in his face, wondering what he could possibly mean by that statement.

"Because," Sebastian pressed. "You don't seem to be made of very good materials yourself."

Neither agreeing or disagreeing, Drossel stuck a finger in his ear. "So I thought to myself, I must be human, yet I often find termites falling out of my ears."

When he pulls it out, a handful of bugs fall to the ground below.

During his distraction, Seir watched as Sebastian kicked the polearm into the air, striking the puppeteer in the chin. Forced the stagger back in order to avoid falling, he loosens his hold on the marionette strings, and without a moment of hesitation the butler advances. Using Grell's face as a boost, he leaps into the air, catching the suspended weapon in the air and delivering an otherwise fatal blow to the sentient doll, putting an end to his miserable life. His lifeless body falls to the ground with finality.

The three of them surrounded the corpse in observance, noting the straw that spilled out of the wound.

"Drossel Keinz," the reaper said again. "His soul was reaped five years ago. But for some reason we detected signs of survival."

Knowingly, Sebastian interjected. "Someone must have fitted him with a makeshift soul."

Ciel gave him a look that screamed _why am I not surprised by this shit anymore_ until his attention was drawn to the girl in his arms. Exchanging a few heartfelt comments, the boy spoke to reassure the girl, and surprisingly the unnatural sheen from her face faded as she relaxed into his embrace. Ciel allowed a moment to relish in the sight of her safe presence, but of course Sebastian had to ruin it a heartbeat later.

"It's not over, my lord."

The boy's head whipped around at the snapping of dry straw. Drossel, lifting himself to his feet with apparent difficulty, looked at the trio with eyes that looked even more lifeless than she'd ever seen.

"So I said to myself," he murmured. "I will report to my master."

No one dared to move as the puppet staggered to the door, silage spilling to the floor with every motion.

"Why does he still want to serve his master after being all torn up?" Grell questioned, genuinely curious. Sebastian only gave a smile, his attitude towards the doll changing in that one key moment. One could say that there was a modicum of respect in his eyes.

"I can understand," he said with his smooth voice. "You see, he's just one hell of a butler."

For once, both sides of her brain were in agreeance.

 _I'm going to fucking kill him._

* * *

 **OMAKE:**

Grell couldn't believe it. He did it. The ultimate accomplishment in his entire career.

The reaper snickered into his hands as he pulled out the photograph from his pocket. Depicted on is was Sebastian smiling flirtatiously back at the tower when he said, "Please."

Even thinking back to the memory got him so riled up that he squealed, unable to contain his excitement.

"Someone's happy."

Startled, Grell jumped, only to find Seir staring at him in bemusement.

"Ah, bear! Yes, though it's nothing to concern yourself w-"

Tripping on an unassuming rock, the demon gracefully steps to the side as he falls on the ground. Hundreds of photos of Sebastian spill out of his jacket.

Fear and humiliation wash over him. "W-what a fucking loser haha these aren't mine I'm just-" Grell refuses to make eye contact with her as he laughs nervously, gathering them up frantically with increasingly sweaty hands. "Listen I just fuck-" Thousands of pictures of Sebastian scatter across the floor. "Shit fuck I'm just holding them for a friend just listen-"

While the redhead floundered in his mess of photos and sweat, Seir bent down to pick up a stray picture. It was Sebastian back at Drossel's tower, smiling flirtatiously as he asked Grell for a request. She stealthily tucks it into her corset for later.

"Clean yourself up," she remarked disdainfully, hurriedly walking away. It's all Grell could do to not cry at that moment, ashamed.

* * *

Author's Note:

Hello again! I'm on time :D

Miss Meep: That's true, burnout is such a recurring issue. OTL The reminder was well needed, and I'll feel less guilty when I take a much needed break. Thank you :3


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

She watched the exchange on the sidelines like she always did. Observe before acting. Know your enemies. Find their weaknesses.

Drossel collapsed once as soon as he opened the door, barely clinging to life but unable to draw anymore strength from his flimsy vessel. However, they all ignored his form when they were greeted with the back of a chair and Pluto in his hound form, lazing away with whoever was sat before him.

Her keen eyes caught the strings in the moonlight, ensnaring the trio as they burst into the room. She had felt it, the _angelic power_ , however brief. It would explain the dog's friendliness to whomever was in that chair.

She couldn't help the manic grin that spread on her face.

 _Ah, my wrath is showing._

Seir could not detect her dove in the vicinity, but that was the least of her concerns. With their backs to her, she crept up to the puppet's corpse and, upon grabbing his body, cloaked him into nothingness along with her. The taunting voice that lured Ciel closer bled into the background as she took a step back, turned to the stairs and made her way down.

She gingerly placed his body in one of the empty rooms, closing the door behind her. Dispelling her invisibility, she allowed the man a moment to reorient himself. She could see him languidly blink up at her, recognizing who she was.

"Did you not hear?" she whispered, kneeling to his level. "Your master did not care for you. He showed no remorse for your death, and called you simple minded for your loyalty."

No response.

She pressed on. "There is no satisfying such an ignorant master. I can see your devotion, your desire to please. Let me help you."

Drossel managed to blink again in lethargic attentiveness, his life slipping through his fingers. She spoke her next words quickly.

"Serve me, and you will rise."

 _How dramatic_.

Shut up.

The doll made no movement, and he was seconds from death. She would hate to lose such a nice servant who didn't need to eat and would follow her every command. Really, he was tailored for her lifestyle.

"Blink once for yes, twice for no," she snapped her fingers in impatience. Drossel only managed to blink once, and at that instance she acted.

 _You didn't even let him blink a second time_ , _idiot._

She snickered to herself. _That's the point._

In a familiar motion, she bit into her thumb, drawing blood that hummed with archaic power. Turning the body on its back, she peeled away his collar to expose the back of his neck. Seir brushed away a stray termite without a second thought, and acting quickly she painted a circle in the sanguine fluid. Then, extracting a clawed nail, the base binding sigil was painted in the center in black ink, imbued with her magic. On the second layer, the seal master marked him with a vitality hex that would heal any artificial wounds, then a soul link on top that would allow her to retain his essence should she need to create him a new body. The fourth was her signature seal identical to the one she placed on Grell. The final layer on her improvised seal hid the mark from sight, on the off chance that it would tampered with by another celestial creature.

Although not satisfied, it was the best she was willing to give him at the moment - five layers was plenty for her purposes. The soul link bound his essence to her life, and as long as she was kicking he would as well. Rolling Drossel onto his back, the demon was pleased when he blinked with renewed vigor.

"I will find you a new host when we have the time." She offered him a hand and he took it, though staggering on his feet from his earlier wound. He was still silent as he looked at her in a newfound light. "Though I will put you in a living vessel. No more of this fragile doll business."

The doll flexed his fingers in wonder. "So I ask her... Am I human?"

The demon could only spare him a small, humorless smile. "No, you are not. Drossel Keinz died five years ago. You are another soul in a puppet's body."

His expression was blank before morphing into one of conflict when her words registered. Seir clicked her tongue.

"Human, doll , what's the difference?" Her new servant turned to her, features turning into a questioning look, and she fixed him with serious eyes. "I won't beat around the bush. I am not human either, and when you serve me it will be for an eternity. I wouldn't take such a fragile creature such as man to follow me for life. Knowing this, I will let you choose death now if you feel this is not the purpose for you."

"So I say to her, I will serve you," he responded without missing a beat. Like a practiced butler, he bowed low, drawing a hand across his chest in a symbol of absolute loyalty. "You gave me life - a purpose, and therefore I am yours... my lady."

The demon smiled wide, thoroughly pleased with her impulsive decision to claim this man as her own.

"Then stand," she murmured, though laced with authority. "You are not Drossel Keinz, and your new name will be given to you when you receive your new vessel. Until then, you will have no identity, and we will forge a new one together."

When he rose, she saw his gentle smile, and the demon felt a maternal spark in her chest that she had not felt in eons.

"I like your expressions," Seir noted absentmindedly. She missed the way his grin slipped from his face at her remark, but she had already turned to face the door. "You should show more emotion. It gives you life."

The servant was stunned, her words impacting him to his very core. He did not realize until now that he really _hadn't_ shown much emotion at all, much less _felt_.

Something was different.

His new master gave him the ability to live… in more ways than one.

Internally, he vowed to serve his lady to his very last breath, and then some. Seir didn't know it, but her offhand comment cemented his undying devotion to her very cause and wellbeing.

"Yes," he remarked with a smile. "My lady."

She grinned back at him, but at the sound of clicking on the stairs it morphed into a sinister smile. Her servant found it somewhat unnerving, but decided he would learn how to feel again through her.

A part of him said he really shouldn't use her as an example, but then again, where else would he learn?

Faster than his eyes could register, Seir wrenched open the door and darted into the hall, snatching something off the ground.

"So I say to her, my lady?"

"First thing you will learn," she clicked her tongue in disapproval. He already felt thoroughly chastised by the action. "Is to not question my actions. I will explain myself if I feel you need to know."

He nodded quickly, fearful of ever being the root of her ire. However, the wriggling object in her hand drew both of their gazes, and the demon smiled a toothy grin.

"Hello, little dove," she purred, and the wooden doll in her grasp stilled.

"You-!"

"I finally understand." Seir flipped the toy on its back to observe the articulate seal on the paint. "It was pointless to send you off with a message. Heaven wouldn't allow the likes _you_ back into its domain, _fallen angel_."

"How-"

"Speak when prompted, vermin." She traced the symbol with a delicate finger, observing its craftsmanship. A scratch in one of the lines silenced its muffled tone. "The seal of the underworld on the gate of this tower, your taming of a hellhound, your obsessive desire to tamper with mortals in ways that are deemed _unholy_."

The demon flipped the doll again to stare at it directly in its painted eyes, and she bared her teeth in a dangerous smile. "I dare say you are almost one of us."

Her servant watched as she tossed the object between her hands like a sack as she idly played with it. Although he didn't want to believe it, he was starting to see that he may have pledged his loyalty to something far more fearsome than his previous master.

"I've had some time to think," she muttered with a low chuckle. "To think you were ever a threat. You aren't even a Principality, but an actual _Angel_. The lowest in the pecking order."

He felt the heat slowly rise in their little room, and the servant was almost flabbergasted at the sight of her fingertips engulfed in miniature flames. His master did not once look at him through the whole ordeal.

"I'll be back for you to get rid of the evidence." Her smile was almost mad. He was reminded of a cat toying with its prey. Or maybe a nightmare. He just knew he did not want to be on the receiving end of that, _ever_. "Whether that means erasing your memory or eradicating your measly existence depends on how nice I'm feeling. Lucky for you, I'm feeling pretty good right now."

A final toss in the air as Seir aimed an outstretched hand at the wooden ragdoll.

" _Conflagrate_."

He raised his arms to shield his face from the sudden explosion. The heat from this proximity was almost overwhelming, and a stray flaming projectile caught on his head and lit the protruding straw on fire. He almost panicked were it not for Seir's quick extinguishing of his head as she threw the offending silage on the ground and harmlessly stamped it out.

"We're not done," she spoke, a sudden edge to her tone as she perked up, though her eyes softened when she turned back to him. "Can you run?"

"So I say to her, I will do my best to not slow you down, my lady," he smiled.

* * *

Ash bit his tongue with a choked gasp at the sudden disconnect from his peripheral host. Only after he recovered from the initial shock did dread fill him at the demon's words.

Merlin gave him a raised eyebrow as he looked up from his sketch.

" _...Fuck."_

* * *

 _Fuck._

She felt it again.

Furfur was here.

But Sebastian was there too.

 _I should be running away,_ she screamed at herself. _Why am I moving_ towards _him?!_

Her new butler was moving too slowly for her tastes, and opted to carry him bridal style as she burst through the gates of the tower and into the woods. It was all he could do to hold on for dear life as she sped faster than any vehicle he's ever ridden.

The desperation in her step was apparent, and he could painfully offer no solace without knowing its cause.

At the very edge of the forest, Seir put him down, hiding him as well as he could in the bushes. Knowing his complaints would not be be well received, he opted to remain silent. She shot him a thankful look.

"You are no use to me in this form. This is something I must handle myself."

If he was hurt from the comment, he didn't show it. And he wasn't - inside, the servant he knew he was a liability at the moment, and all he could do now was stay out of her way.

At his knowing nod, Seir turned and burst through the treeline.

In the forest clearing stood Furfur in all of his glory. The sun had barely made itself known in the new day, painting the skies a colorful palette of pinks of golds. His long, beautiful pale green hair flew in the wind like new spring leaves, and unlike the other two demons in the vicinity, he opted to keep his horns and pointed ears visible to their less hellish audience. His lanky form was relaxed and lazy, though she could see that he was doing all he could to keep from slouching. His dress pants and crisp white shirt made him look _really_ attractive in this picturesque setting.

...stupid left brain.

On the other side of the field stood the trio of misfits, with Pluto in his tuxedo observing from the sidelines. Ciel was at a total loss from his place behind his butler, unable to tear his eyes from Furfur's demonic features with a morbid curiosity. Grell himself was apparently torn - he felt the desire to openly address the man's attractiveness, but his last encounter with him left a sour taste in his mouth, knowing that he was after his dear companion. Sebastian, the territorial prick he was, exuded a hostile aura that nearly choked even her.

There was no way a Count was challenging a _Duke_ , right?

Furfur turned at her sudden appearance. "Finally," he droned.

Sebastian looked her way as well, sensing her presence before she made herself known and directing his aggression at her. "Care to explain?"

Seir sighed tiredly, raking a hand through her hair. _This day has been way too long._

* * *

Author's Note:

Double update~

Also yes - Drossel Keinz, le puppeteer, lives on. :D


	14. Author's Note (Good and Bad News!)

Hi all! Sorry for the long absence, but just a few important words.

Firstly, I will not be continuing Delusions of Grandeur. That's the important one, and if that's all that you wanted to see then thank you for sticking with me for the first few months. Your support meant everything to me, even when I had to drop the story due to finals, and it is what keeps me going forward.

Onto my second note, however, is that I am going to be attempting it again! I learned a lot from my first writing experience with DoG. When I first started, I got so excited that I was posting chapters as soon as I was done with them without even editing. I would go back to them afterwards, but this was unprofessional in a multitude of ways. There was no planning involved, no backbone, and no time for myself to properly flesh out the world. I was getting my idea out of my head and onto paper, but it made me fully see just how much thought goes into a story and how many intricacies must be fleshed out for it to properly work. I highly recommend people to write down their headcannons on paper, as it is a very great learning experience, even if it means posting a completely unfinished story. ;)

I won't post my second story until I at least have a draft for every arc, and preferably every chapter. Even as I jot down ideas, I'm changing and completely rewriting major plot points and ideas, and even taking out characters that I had planned to be essential in the start. I may or may not delete DoG once I post the first few chapter of its successor, but let me tell you that it includes Seir again, and it will be a romantic pairing with Sebastian (assuming it goes how I plan right now). I will also do far more research into my sources to make it more accurate. Her traits and aspirations, however, may change. I will only update DoG again once the first chapter has been posted, but nonetheless, thank you all for taking a chance with Delusions of Grandeur. I hope this new story serves to do it even greater justice. :)


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